PREVIEW | 2024 Brisbane International Day Four including OSAKA v PLISKOVA, SABALENKA, RYBAKINA and RUNE

After the return of Rafael Nadal dominated the schedule on Day Three, two of the top WTA players in the world and a battle of former World No.1's headlines the schedule on Day Four at the 2024 Brisbane International.

Our preview looks ahead to Day Four as second round action as Last 32 takes place in WTA and Last 16 begins in ATP. As ever we run through the leading stories ahead of the action.

Naomi Osaka had the tennis world positively purring at times as she took down Tamara Korpatsch in her opening tie at the Brisbane International. But it will be more sterner opposition when she returns to the court albeit a player who has been in no form at all but has pedigree.

That being Karolina Pliskova, the former World No.1 and former Wimbledon finalist who will be the next in her way. They begin at around 11am local time so will be through the early hours in UK and Europe. It is currently 3-2 in the head to head to Pliskova, but it is a match that has not taken place since 2020 when both were towards their peak.

Ordinarily without Osaka captivating attention on her tennis return, it would be Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina who would be taking centre stage when it comes to the schedule. But they will both start their campaigns anyway also on the Pat Rafter Arena. Sabalenka plays Lucia Bronzetti, while as of time of writing Rybakina awaits the victor of Kimberley Birrell and Olivia Gadecki so an Aussie will be her first opponent. Both had one of the best tournaments of their careers last year at the Australian Open with Sabalenka defeating Rybakina to seal her maiden Grand Slam title.

Both return this season with a point to prove as Sabalenka lost World No.1 and Rybakina played superbly for most of the year but couldn't hit her heights mainly due to illness and scheduling issues for the most part. Both have also been in action in exhibitions in recent weeks so albeit a lesser format are two players who have been in some form. Albeit the same could've been said for Sofia Kenin and she lost to Arina Rodionova earlier on Tuesday so the new tennis season is full of surprises.

On the ATP end, it is Holger Rune who is the leading light involved and he takes on Russian, Alexander Shevchenko in the final match on the schedule. The top seed will be favourite alongside likely Grigor Dimitrov to seal the title this week. Ben Shelton departed early for instance and Rafael Nadal is the other so called cork in the bottle, but after just a win over Dominic Thiem, it isn't time to count chickens just yet. So the intrigue will also be there on the men's side as to whether Holger Rune can keep going as the top name still involved.