Brisbane
Jessica Pegula vs. Marta Kostyuk (12:00 A.M ET)
Pegula’s push into the late rounds at majors began when she made the Australian Open quarters in 2021. She did it again in 2022 and 2023, and despite disappointing results there the last two years, she has always looked comfortable on the hard courts Down Under. She has started well again in Brisbane, with three hard-fought, quality wins, over Anna Kalinskaya, Dayana Yastremska, and Liudmila Samsonova. She’ll get another fight from another quality player in Marta Kostyuk in the semis. She leads the Ukrainian 4-1 in their head-to-head, and won both of their matches in 2025.
Brandon Nakashima vs. Aleksander Kovacevic (10 P.M. ET)
These two under-sung U.S. men will meet for the first time. Nakashima is younger (24 to 27) and higher-ranked (33 to 58), and thus is better-known and his future more highly touted. But based on his wins this week, Kovacevic is a player to keep a closer eye on in 2026. He has beaten Nick Kyrgios (never an easy task Down Under), former Top Tenner Cam Norrie, and towering power-server Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Kovacevic makes me think of one of commentator Robbie Koenig’s trademark compliments: He’s as tough as a two-dollar steak.
Alex Michelsen vs. Daniil Medvedev (3:30 A.M. ET)
Last year looked like a breakthrough was on the horizon for Michelsen. He was in his third season, so he knew the ropes. He made the fourth round at the Australian Open, the semis in Delray, and rose to a career-high No. 30. But he seemed to run out of gas down the stretch, losing in the first round at Wimbledon and the US Open and finishing 37th. Is this the year when the 6-foot-4, 21-year-old sustains it? He has beaten two countryman, Learner Tien and Sebastian Korda, in Brisbane. Now he’ll try to get his first win, in his third try, against Medvedev.
