Third round action at the Australian Open sees two-time AO champion Naomi Osaka looking to post her best result at a Grand Slam since 2021, while Jessica Pegula continues her question to reach another Grand Slam title. Our panelists have predictions for every third round match.

Mirra Andreeva vs Magdalena Frech

Andreas Pelekis: This should be an exciting encounter between two seeds, and they’ve both entered 2025 on the heels of a great ending to last season. Andreeva relies on defense and consistency more than Frech, and she’ll have to use her strong serve to frustrate the Pole, who relies on aggressive ballstriking. Andreeva did make over 50 unforced errors in her second-round match, in which she barely scraped by in a third-set tiebreak. Frech also recovered from a lopsided 6-0 first-set loss in her last match. In the end, look for Andreeva to use her fight and better 2024 success to reach the second week. Andreeva in 3

Jordan Reynolds: Frech has had good success at the Australian Open and the conditions suit her game. However, Andreeva is in a great place right now and her game is well suited to wearing her down. The teenager to win in two sets. Andreeva in 2

Yesh Ginsburg: The young Russian phenom survived a scare in the second round, a good reminder that while obviously an elite talent, she’s still very young and prone to inconsistency. We can’t expect it to happen again, though. Andreeva in 2

Diana Shnaider vs Donna Vekic

Andreas: This is another interesting matchup between two seeds, though Shanider and Vekic more similarly resemble one another with their powerful serves and forehands. The two played last year in the finals of a WTA 500 grass court event in Germany, where Shanider won 6-3 2-6 6-3. I anticipate a similar outcome here, as Shnaider has a couple more weapons and confidence being higher ranked. Shnaider in 3

Jordan: There will be a lot of powerful hitting in this matchup. Shnaider’s superior athleticism might give her a slight edge. The young player may also cope better in the hot conditions if the match becomes long. Shnaider in 3

Yesh: Diana Shnaider is a rising star who seems to have somewhat plateaued. She’s probably not ready to win Slams yet, but she might start getting close. Shnaider in 2

Naomi Osaka vs Belinda Bencic

Andreas: Osaka has started to return to her best tennis here after two big wins over Caroline Garcia and Karolina Muchova. However, Bencic is one of the former World #1’s biggest nightmares. Bencic has stunned Osaka on multiple occasions when the latter was ranked at the top of the tour, but the Swiss star is just starting to return to form after giving birth last year. Osaka may just have a few more matches under her belt, and I see the crowd helping her to a big return to the second week. Osaka in 3

Jordan: Bencic has made a very impressive return from maternity leave. She also has a good record against Osaka, but the two-time champion in Melbourne made a statement with her win against Karolina Muchova. She will almost certainly win by reaching that level again. Osaka in 2

Yesh: Naomi Osaka dug deep to reach this round, and now she finds herself against a talented player who hasn’t found her best game in a few years. I expect the Japanese superstar to advance. Osaka in 2

Jessica Pegula vs Olga Danilovic

Andreas: Danilovic could be an underrated weapon in this draw, especially after a bruising 6-1 6-2 second-round win over Liudmila Samsonova. The Serb relies on heavy power with her lefty forehand, something that Pegula will have to defend with her consistency. Pegula cruised through her first two matches, but this could be a difficult level-up. If the American can get a hold of this match early, she’ll force Danilovic into errors and win in straight sets. If Danilovic gets a hold of the match in the first few games, there may be an upset. I feel that it’s more likely that Pegula’s good form frustrates her younger opponent. Pegula in 2

Jordan: Danilovic’s improvements on hard courts in recent have been impressive. That does not change the fact she is not near Pegula’s level on the surface. Last year’s US Open runner-up to be very comfortable here. Pegula in 2

Yesh: Jessica Pegula is quietly still plugging away after a weaker-than-expected end to 2024. It’s tough to know exactly what to expect from her, but it will take an elite level to beat her. Pegula in 2

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