Novak has advanced to the quarterfinals. He will face world number 22 Cobolli on Wednesday. I think he will beat Cobolli and advance to the semifinals, but can he advance beyond the semifinals? Very difficult.
I will be following the match between Fritz and Khachanov today. Fritz is the world number five and a big favorite, but I expect a surprise from Khachanov.
The other quarterfinal match will see Alcaraz and Norrie face off. I think Alcaraz will easily defeat Norrie and advance to the semifinals.
Novak moving past Cobolli is the expected script, yeah. But this year is the tournament is pure unpredictability. Novak looked human, not the unbreakable wall we know: slow starts, physical issues, and those break points he keeps missing. Cobolli got nothing to lose, which is dangerous in itself. The real Novak test is in the semis if he meets Sinner (who's got his own elbow drama). Wouldn't surprise me if Novak makes it, but he can not relax for a second. So many famous names have already lost this week.
With Fritz and Khachanov, everyone loves calling Fritz a favorite, but there is fatigue factor. Fritz has quick win last round, which means he is fresh. Khachanov has gone through wars and usually crumbles against top players. If there is an upset, it will have to come from Fritz making mistakes, not Khachanov suddenly becomes a superstar against top players. Khachanov is talented, but in big matches, he often loses confidence and thats where things fall apart for him.