Roger Federer will serve it up for a chance at one more Grand Slam title when the Australian Open kicks off in Melbourne. He faces Steve Johnson in round 1 while Australian Jordan Thompson is also in action. Steen Kirby, Harsh Bhoot, and Damian Kust offer their predictions.
Roger Federer vs Steve Johnson
Harsh: Roger Federer won’t mind taking on Steve Johnson in the first round as it’s a good test for the Swiss. It’s Federer’s first competitive match in 2020 and while there are chances it won’t be totally one-sided, it’s pretty tough to see Johnson having a say in this match. The American just won a challenger event in Bendigo but this is the Majors and with a very weak backhand, Johnson will find it exceedingly hard to attack and wrestle control of the baseline rallies. Expect the Swiss to approach the net numerous times and test the defense capabilities of the American, something Johnson is not quite adept at. Federer in 3
Steen: Johnson is in really good form on the challenger tour but facing Federer is an entirely different level of challenge. Federer skipped any official warm up tournaments (or matches) this year but this is a venue where he’s normally competitive and he’s unlikely to be so out of form he falls to the American. Federer in 4
Damian: Johnson is coming off a great week at the Bendigo Challenger but I don’t think a possible upset is on the cards here. His backhand is too much of a liability and it will likely force him to leave too much space in his forehand corner for Federer to hit into. The Swiss might be a bit rusty but his defensive slice will make it very tough for Johnson to stay on the attacking side. Federer in 3
Dan Evans vs Mackenzie McDonald
Harsh: It’s the first meeting between these two and should be a great watch. Daniel Evans has had a blockbuster start to 2020 with a successful stint at the ATP Cup beating high-quality opponents like David Goffin and Alex de Minaur. Mackenzie McDonald, on the other hand, had a forgettable Auckland Open failing to qualify and is clearly short of match practice. McDonald is a solid baseliner but Evans mixes it up pretty well and looks in control of his game at the moment. Expect Evans to make it through but he’ll be stretched to earn the win. Evans in 4
Steen: Evans is playing well, McDonald is not. Evans has always been talented and this could be a big year for him, with a solid shot at spending most of the season as the British #1. Evans in 3
Damian: McDonald has played just one match since Roland Garros, while the Brit has been one of the most brilliant performers of the first two weeks of the season, nicking a Grand Slam seed for the very first time. With his tricky game, Evans is not an opponent you want to face when you’re still struggling for rhythm. Evans in 3
Benoit Paire vs Cedrik-Marcel Stebe
Harsh: Benoit Paire enters this year’s Australian Open in a very positive frame of mind after a good ATP Cup and final appearance in Auckland. He didn’t manage to win the trophy but it was a very close final and the Frenchman should be raring to go in Melbourne. He takes on Cedrik-Marcel Stebe who has only played a challenger event this year in which the German failed to reach the final. Paire has fought in all his matches throughout 2020 and with a good amount of matches under his belt already this year, expect the Frenchman to have it easy in his opening encounter. Paire in 3
Steen: Paire is always unpredictable with a fiery attitude, but his form is excellent. Stebe has been a good challenger tour player as of late but playing best of 5 against a tricky customer like Paire should prove too much. This could be Paire’s moment, having never previously reached the second week in Melbourne. Paire in 4
Damian: A new season came but not much has changed in terms of Benoit Paire’s inconsistency. The Frenchman has played eight matches this season and all of them went to deciding sets. However, I don’t think that will happen again this time around. Predicting Paire’s matches is a nightmare for every pundit, but he’s been playing quite well in the first two weeks of the season and when he’s on, he can be very hard to stop. Paire in 4
Alexander Bublik vs Jordan Thompson
Harsh: An interesting first-round clash with neither player having a good start to 2020. Both lost early in Doha and Adelaide with Jordan Thompson failing to win a single match in either of the events. This is a new week and with the Aussie crowd cheering for him, Thompson should be putting up a better performance. However, that’s easier said than done against an opponent as unorthodox as Alexander Bublik and when you consider Bublik beat Thompson last year in Chengdu (hard courts), this shapes up to be a pretty good contest. Expect this match to go the distance with Bublik’s big serve proving to be the difference as the match goes on. Bublik in 5
Damian: The home crowd favorite will play Alexander Bublik, who’s always a bit of a hit-or-miss with his trick shots and risky second serve tactics. But Thompson did little in Adelaide to convince me that he actually has some form going. Bublik’s sheer power should be enough to pull through here. Bublik in 4
Steen: On paper these players are relatively evenly matched and Bublik has a h2h edge. Thompson is at home though and home cooking and home support should give him just enough to win this. Thompson in 5
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