Teams on the ATP and WTA tours get ready to vie for quarterfinal spots at the Australian Open over the weekend.

From upsets to triumphant returns and new partnerships to dramatic face-offs, the first few days of the Australian Open doubles events had it all, providing the perfect segue for a dramatic weekend.

The men’s draw got blown wide open right from the start. After winning a round, 2018 champions and top seeds Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic lost their second match to Maximo Gonzalez and Nicolas Jarry.

That came on the heels of the loss suffered by the duo they beat in last year’s final, Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal. “Colombian Power” fell to the unseeded Jack Sock and Jackson Withrow as Sock’s streak at the majors stretched to 13 wins in a row, after he won the US Open and Wimbledon, with Mike Bryan.

Mike has reunited with his brother Bob, who’s made his way back to the court after major hip surgery, and the all-time greats reached the round of 16 for the 18th consecutive year.

They’ve established themselves as one of the favorites for the title along with another former championship team, Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares. The 2016 victors also made it to the weekend with a couple of solid performances to extend their winning streak on the year.

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While the top two seeds couldn’t get it done on the men’s side, the women appear to be headed toward a blockbuster final as top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Barbora Krejcikova, and Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic have advanced to the second week behind some strong performances.

Babos and Mladenovic, the defending champions, face Kristen Flipkens and Johanna Larsson next, while Siniakova and Krejcikova will square off against Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka.

Both sides feature teams left in the draw that could upset the apple cart and go deep at the year’s first Slam. Heavy-hitting Americans Ryan Harrison and Sam Querrey, known more for their singles play, are still alive. Among the women, the unseeded pair of Samantha Stosur and Shuai Zhang are capable of making waves, too.

The favorites will be commingling with the underdogs for the chance to end January on a high note.

Follow Van on Twitter: @Van_Sias