Only the first two match-ups in each tie are locked in, the rest are subject to change(*).


USA @ SERBIA
Venue: Belgrade Arena, Belgrade, Serbia (Indoor Clay)

Viktor Troicki (SRB) v John Isner (USA)
Novak Djokovic (SRB) v Sam Querrey (USA)
Janko Tipsarevic/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) v Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA)*
Novak Djokovic (SRB) v John Isner (USA)*
Viktor Troicki (SRB) v Sam Querrey (USA)*

Let's cut to the chase: The Americans have no chance in either singles match against Djokovic, so they have to sweep the other three rubbers.  Which is actually doable.  Querrey and Isner have both been playing real well this year, each with a title to his name already, and an additional doubles title they paired to win together.  The Bryans should win the doubles pretty easily, though Nenad Zimonjic is no pushover.  But can they run the table on a bad surface in hostile territory? I hope so, but I think it unlikely.
Prediction: Serbia 3-2

 
SWITZERLAND @ SPAIN
Venue: Plaza de Toros de la Ribera, Logrono, Spain (Indoor Clay)

Nicolas Almagro (ESP) v Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)
David Ferrer (ESP) v Marco Chiudinelli (SUI)
Marcel Granollers/Tommy Robredo (ESP) v Yves Allegro/Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)*
David Ferrer (ESP) v Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)*
Nicolas Almagro (ESP) v Marco Chiudinelli (SUI)*

Those flags side-by-side should get any tennis fan excited.  Nadal-Federer in Davis Cup for the first time? Awesome! Sadly, neither Nadal nor Federer will be present, nor will Spanish top-tenner Fernando Verdasco nor Juan Carlos Ferrero be playing.  The Spanish absences should make this somewhat more competitive, but not all that interesting I don't think.  Wawrinka may beat Almagro, but that's probably the only win for the visitors.
Prediction: Spain 4-1

CZECH REPUBLIC @ BELGIUM

Venue: Expodroom, Bree, Belgium (clay – indoors)

The Czechs were surprise finalists last year, but they will be unsurprising quarterfinalists with this draw, as the Belgians shouldn't prove to be much of a speed bump.  I'm not too invested in this one, I just really hope Radek Stepanek's Czech Flag outfit makes an appearance. It's always a highlight of any Davis Cup weekend for me.
Prediction: Czech Republic 5-0

ISRAEL @ CHILE
Venue: Nokia Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel (Indoor Hard)

Draw TBA Later Friday*

For everything Chile has been through recently, it's amazing that this tie is going to happen at all.  I know everyone has understandable catastrophe philanthropy fatigue by now, but if you're on the fence about giving to Chile, watch Fernando Gonzalez's emotional video plea for help for his country.  Chile might take Davis Cup more seriously than any other country (if past riots are any indication), so you can bet that this will be one emotional event.
Prediction: Chile 4-1

 
GERMANY @ FRANCE

Venue: Palais des Sports, Toulon, France (Indoor)

Gael Monfils (FRA) v Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) v Benjamin Becker (GER)
Julien Benneteau/Michael Llodra (FRA) v Christopher Kas/Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)*
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) v Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)*
Gael Monfils (FRA) v Benjamin Becker (GER)*

Monfils is a bafflingly bad Davis Cup player in my experience watching him, which is bizarre for someone who feeds so greatly off crowd energy.  It's not his best surface, either.  But Tsonga and vastly superior doubles should be enough for the French to fend off a German team without two of it's biggest names (Haas and Kiefer).

Prediction: France 3-2

 
INDIA @ RUSSIA

Venue: Small Sports Arena "Luzhniki", Moscow, Russia (Indoor Hard)

Igor Andreev (RUS) v Somdev Devvarman (IND)
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) v Rohan Bopanna (IND)
Teimuraz Gabashvili/Igor Kunitsyn (RUS) v Mahesh Bhupathi/Leander Paes (IND)*
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) v Somdev Devvarman (IND)*
Igor Andreev (RUS) v Rohan Bopanna (IND)*

Russia suffered a shock defeat in last year's quarterfinals against Israel, but don't expect a repeat of that against a decidedly weaker Indian team.  India shouldn't have a prayer in any of the singles matches, but it's entirely possible that a boneheaded Andreev could lose to Devvarman if Andreev is as messy as he can be.  India should get a point in the doubles, at least.

Prediction: Russia 4-1

 
ARGENTINA @ SWEDEN

Venue: Kungliga Tennishallen, Stockholm, Sweden (hard – indoors)

Robin Soderling (SWE) v Eduardo Schwank (ARG)
Joachim Johansson (SWE) v Leonardo Mayer (ARG)
Robert Lindstedt/Robin Soderling (SWE) v Leonardo Mayer/Horacio Zeballos (ARG)*
Robin Soderling (SWE) v Leonardo Mayer (ARG)*
Joachim Johansson (SWE) v Eduardo Schwank (ARG)*

This would be a pretty awesome tie if Juan Martin del Potro was healthy enough to be there.  But without him, or even Juan Monaco or Jose Acasuso, the Swedes may well run the table.  Sweden has been in the upper echelon of Davis Cup for almost longer than any other country, a phenomenon that is now more explicable with the emergence of Robin Soderling as an elite player.

Prediction: Sweden 4-1

ECUADOR @ CROATIA

Venue: Gradska Sportska Dvorana, Varazdin, Croatia (Indoor Hard)

Ivo Karlovic (CRO) v Nicolas Lapentti (ECU)
Marin Cilic (CRO) v Giovanni Lapentti (ECU)
Ivan Dodig/Antonio Veic (CRO) v Giovanni Lapentti/Nicolas Lapentti (ECU)*
Marin Cilic (CRO) v Nicolas Lapentti (ECU)*
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) v Giovanni Lapentti (ECU)*

Thanks to the emergence of Nicolas' younger brother, the Ecuadorians may well be the first Davis Cup team to have a lineup entirely of siblings.  The Maleevas, Williamses, and Bondarenkos have achieved the feat in Fed Cup, but I can't think of a pair of brothers who were ever their country's two best at a World Group level before.  That bit of trivia aside, the Brothers Lapentti will be lucky to win a match.  Croatia was smart to pick hard courts this time, which is their best surface despite their inexplicable decision to pick clay against the Czechs in last year's semifinals.

Prediction: Croatia 5-0

Tennis Channel will have coverage of the Americans, and the rest of the ties should be streamable online.  Here's to a good weekend of tennis to get everybody pumped for the spring American hard court swing.

The Norman Brookes Cup

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255 matches down, 1 to go...

Not Before 19:30

Roger Federer (SUI)[1] v. Andy Murray (GBR)[5]

I'm predicting Federer in 4.  I think part of the reason he lost to del Potro in that final was a real lack of fight and killer instinct against an opponent in del Potro whom Federer seems to genuinely likes.  Murray, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be on the receiving end of much respect from Federer.  That said, this match is totally in Murray's hands (though Federer's serve does play a huge role, as Jsz pointed out).

Here's hoping for a great one.  This match is our last taste of grand slam tennis for four months, so it'd better be big and delicious.

The Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup

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After laying dormant for almost two years, the Serena vs. Henin rivalry resumes on the grandest of stages. Hope you're not sleeping through this dream final.

Not Before 19:30

Serena Williams (USA)[1] v. Justine Henin (BEL)[W]

I rewrote my prediction piece for this final about twelve times before finally deciding that I really don't know.  The one thing I expect is an awesome match.  If it goes three, that could spell trouble for the gimpier Serena, but that's really the only thing I can say with any degree of certainty.

Spoiler Alert: You'll probably see one of these two things at the end of the match. Unlikely both.

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Only one match tonight, and each of the next two nights as well.  And then there will be zero grand slam matches per night for about four months, so make the most of these while you can.

Not Before 19:30

Roger Federer (SUI)[1] v. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)[10]

I'll go out on not much of a limb and take Federer in 3.

Not a whole lot of buzz around this matchup, really, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't wake yourself up, pack into the comments and fill them with wonderfully insightful comments.

After posing for the requisite "we made it to the semifinals and we're from the same country!" photo, do Zheng Jie and Li Na have what it takes to make it an all-Chinese final? Does it count if one of them does? Photo via photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net

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Doesn't get too much more major at a grand slam than having three semifinals in one day, easily the second biggest day at any slam short only to the US Open's Super Saturday. 

And it doesn't get much more sparse than having only one singles match on the slate per night, which is what we have from here on out for the rest of the tournament.  So by all means, get your fill of tennis tonight.

The later start doesn't really do us many favors here in the States, with Serena-Li not getting court til 9:30 EST.

Rod Laver Arena

Not Before 13:30
2. Serena Williams (USA)[1] v. Li Na (CHN)[16]
3. Justine Henin (BEL) v. Zheng Jie (CHN)
19:30 Start Time
1. Marin Cilic (CRO) [14] v. Andy Murray (GBR) [5]

My abbreviated predictions tonight: Serena Williams in 2, Zheng Jie in 3.  It'll be like Natalie Dechy almost was in 2005, or like Marion Bartoli actually was in 2008.

And for the men, let's make it three straight five set upsets for Marin Cilic.

Fans outside Rod Laver Arena, via www.australianopen.com

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Things are getting serious, folks.  What was once 256 is now 12, and we'll be in single digits by the end of the night.  This should be a seriously awesome day of action.

Rod Laver Arena 11:00 Start Time

1. Li Na (CHN)[16] v. Venus Williams (USA)[6]
2. Serena Williams (USA)[1] v. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)[7]
3. Roger Federer (SUI)[1] v. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)[6]
19:30 Start Time
1. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3] v. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)[10]

Be sure to vote in the poll, then, if you feel so compelled, back up your guess in the comments with some reasoning as to why you picked who you picked.

The only marquee that matters from here on. (Photo via Webshots)

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We're getting down to the business end of this tournament, folks.  Hisense Arena is no longer needed for the rest of this tournament, and all the singles action is under one retractable roof.

Suspiciously few women's seeds left in the draw, eh?

Rod Laver Arena 11:00 Start Time

1. Justine Henin (BEL) v. Nadia Petrova (RUS)[19]
2. Zheng Jie (CHN) v. Maria Kirilenko (RUS)
3. Andy Roddick (USA)[7] v. Marin Cilic (CRO)[14]
19:30 Start Time
1. Andy Murray (GBR)[5] v. Rafael Nadal (ESP)[2]

One more scheduling note: It's a shame they put TDF interviewee Rennae Stubbs out on Show Court 2 for what could potentially be her last match at her home slam.  She deserves better.

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Sorry for the delay, folks.  Living on Melbourne time for this past week has finally caught up to me so I'm a little under the weather.

The weather the players in the fourth round Down Under is far more pleasant, so hopefully it will be a great day of tennis, and one in which the top halves of the draws can finally get some intrigue going.

Rod Laver Arena 11:00 Start Time

1. Francesca Schiavone (ITA)[17] v. Venus Williams (USA)[6]
2. Fernando Verdasco (ESP)[9] v. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)[6]
3. Serena Williams (USA)[1] v. Samantha Stosur (AUS)[13]
19:30 Start Time
1. Roger Federer (SUI)[1] v. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)[22]
2. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)[9] v. Victoria Azarenka (BLR)[7]

Hisense Arena (After an Opening Doubles Match)

2. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)[4] v. Na Li (CHN)[16]
3. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[3] v. Lukasz Kubot (POL)
4. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)[10] v. Nicolas Almagro (ESP)[26]

Go Saints, btw...