Day 1 at the Australian Open is always worth tuning in for. Milos Raonic, Fabio Fognini and Reilly Opelka are some of the entertaining players who are set to play their round 1 matches. Yesh Ginsburg and Damian Kust offer their predictions.
Milos Raonic vs Radu Albot
Damian: Unlucky for Raonic to get one of the most dangerous unseeded floaters in the draw. Albot is an epitome of consistency and we’ve seen in Doha that the Canadian is not yet where he would like to be with his game. Bear in mind though that Raonic has historically done very well Down Under. Should be a fun match. Albot in 5
Yesh: Albot had the best year of his career in 2019, and Raonic is still looking for his top form. The big serve and the fast surface should get the Canadian through, though. Raonic in 4
John Millman vs Ugo Humbert
Damian: I expect Humbert to disappoint after a brilliant week in Auckland. Millman is a tough competitor, who should thrive under the influence of the roaring crowd. If there’s any stiffness in Humbert’s legs, Millman will be there to take advantage. Millman in 4
Yesh: Humbert is playing really well and picked up the best wins of his career last week. He’s riding momentum and coming off his first ATP title, and should move on here. Humbert in 3
Fabio Fognini vs Reilly Opelka
Damian: Fognini is like the famous box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. There’s one thing sure with Opelka though – the big serve will hurt you and if there are any lapses in the Italian’s concentration, the American might quickly run away with it. Opelka in 4
Yesh: Fognini struggles against big servers, but he has beaten Opelka before. I think the Italian is in good enough form to find a way through this match, but it’s never easy against someone like Opelka. Fognini in 5
Yoshihito Nishioka vs Laslo Djere
Damian: I’m not sure what to think of Nishioka’s early retirement at the Bendigo Challenger. The Japanese was brilliant at the ATP Cup, easily taking down Basilashvili and Cuevas and pushing Nadal very close. Provided he is injury-free, I wouldn’t give Djere much of a chance here. Nishioka in 4
Yesh: Nishioka has been playing pretty solid tennis recently, crushing Pablo Cuevas and Nikoloz Basilashvili, and even pushing Rafael Nadal at the ATP Cup. Djere might challenge him, but expect Nishioka to move through. Nishioka in 3
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