Heading into the fifth day of competition, the feeling was the third round match between Australian youngster Bernard Tomic and Alexandr Dolgopolov could be the match of the tournament...those feelings wound up being dead on. Tomic out lasted the thirteenth ranked Dolgopolov in a wonderful five set marathon and is now headed to the fourth round and set to do battle with Roger Federer.

PHOTO CREDIT - Zimbio.com

Edmonton - January 20, 2012 - Heading into the fifth day of competition, the feeling was the third round match between Australian youngster Bernard Tomic and Alexandr Dolgopolov could be the match of the tournament...those feelings wound up being dead on. Tomic out lasted the thirteenth ranked Dolgopolov in a wonderful five set marathon and is now headed to the fourth round and set to do battle with Roger Federer.

The third ranked Federer looked very solid in defeating Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic 7-6, 7-5, 6-3 to advance to the next round. The former number one player in the world played almost mistake free tennis, committing only thirteen unforced errors while banging out fifty-five winners. Karlovic served up thirteen aces and managed to knock in 71% of his first serves and actually held a set point at 6-5 in the first set tie breaker but Federer took the next three points to win the opening set. While the 6"10" Croatian's first serve was tough for the great Swiss to handle, it was his second serve that Federer would pounce on, as the match progressed.

The thirty-eighth ranked Tomic will now face Federer, after taking out Dolgopolov in an instant classic 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3. After dropping an entertaining first set to the talented twenty-three year old, Tomic would rebound by taking the following two in tie breakers. The first won was a 7-0 trashing but he took a tight third set breaker, 8-6 and it was a good thing he did because Dolopolov would dominate the teenager in a fourth set that took only thirty-two minutes to play. It looked as though the young Ukrainian had all the momentum heading into the final set but the Aussie found a way to get the job done and send the Melbourne audience into a frenzy.

In other third round action, second seed Rafael Nadal continued his impressive play as he made quick work of Lukas Lacko 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. Nadal's game looks to be rounding into to form, as he continues to work on his ground strokes in hopes of adding a few new twists for future battles with Novak Djokovic.

Like Nadal, both Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro easily won their third round matches and have moved on to the fourth round. So far, this half of the draw has gone according to script and the possibility of two wonderful quarter-final matches are now on the horizon. Let's hope that is exactly what occurs because the potential of a Federer vs Del Potro and Nadal vs Berdych quarters should leave tennis fans everywhere salivating.

Day Six will feature Aussie Lleyton Hewitt doing battle with Canadian Milos Raonic and the winner will have the pleasure of likely playing Novak Djokovic, who should make quick work of Nicolas Mahut, in the fourth round. Other notables in action will be fourth seed Andy Murray, David Ferrer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and fellow Frenchman Gael Monfils.