We’ve seen some incredible tennis on the first day of the Australian Open, and there’s much more to look forward to on Day 2. 32 men’s matches will be contested on Tuesday, and we’re predicting every single one of them. Predicting this group of matches is Jim Smith, Damian Kust, and myself (Yesh Ginsburg).
Each set of predictions from us looks at four matches. That means the 32 matches will be split between eight articles. The other articles feature Alexei Popyrin vs David Goffin, Daniil Medvedev vs Vasek Pospisil, Fabio Fognini vs Pierre-Hugues Herbert, Gilles Simon vs Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev vs Yannick Hanfmann, Lorenzo Sonego vs Sam Querrey, and Rafael Nadal vs Laslo Djere.
Australian Open Day 2 Men’s Predictions
Attila Balazs vs Roberto Carballes Baena
Jim:
Attila Balazs would likely be the favorite coming into this match had he played more than four games this season. With his fitness uncertain and Roberto Carballes Baena accurate and consistent enough to make his opponent work for every point, expect the Spaniard to pick up a relatively rare hard-court win at this level.
Prediction: Carballes Baena in 4
Yesh:
Insert obligatory mention about Balazs being named after Attila the Hun. It’s served him well in making a name for himself on tour, but he’s not up to the same caliber or consistency as a player like Carballes Baena.
Prediction: Carballes Baena in 4
Damian:
Attila Balazs wasn’t fit to play this week, retiring in the opening round to Carlos Alcaraz. To win against a player of such tenacity and court coverage as Roberto Carballes Baena, he would need to be 100% fit and that still probably wouldn’t be enough.
Prediction: Carballes Baena in 3
Andreas Seppi vs Pablo Cuevas
Jim:
Andreas Seppi has enjoyed some memorable runs at the Australian Open in the past, reaching the fourth round on four occasions and scoring the win of his career by upsetting Roger Federer in the third round in 2015. But now 36, the Italian is rather a spent force.
Prediction: Cuevas in 4
Yesh:
This should be a great matchup between two consistent veterans. Cuevas is better known for his exploits on clay, but his hard court game is severely underrated. Seppi, meanwhile, is an aging veteran who really likes the Melbourne courts. I’m not confident in picking a winner, but I am confident that this will be a great match.
Prediction: Seppi in 5
Damian:
That was a surprisingly good week on hard courts for Pablo Cuevas. The Australian Open was always Andreas Seppi’s best Slam but his decline took a rather rapid course in recent years. Very much a toss-up but I’ll go with Seppi to recapture some of his magic of the previous years down under.
Prediction: Seppi in 5
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Jan-Lennard Struff vs Christopher O’Connell
Jim:
Jan-Lennard Struff may still struggle to consistently string good performances together, but when he is on song, he is a very hard man to beat. Christopher O’Connell, meanwhile, is carving out a respectable career, but there is a big gulf in ability between the two men. This should be a fairly comfortable day at the office for the powerful German.
Prediction: Struff in 3
Yesh:
Struff is a very talented player who can’t always live up to it. O’Connell, meanwhile, had an incredible 2020 season, but it was on the lower tours. He’s up for quite a surprise when the competition level jumps as he’s facing a top player in a Grand Slam.
Prediction: Struff in 3
Damian:
Jan-Lennard Struff was very convincing at the ATP Cup this week and his game is responding well to the conditions in Melbourne. Christopher O’Connell’s punching game can be very dangerous but not if the German is playing at his best level.
Prediction: Struff in 3
Matteo Berrettini vs Kevin Anderson
Jim:
Matteo Berrettini’s weaknesses were rather ruthlessly exposed by Daniil Medvedev, who beat him 6-2 6-4 in the ATP Cup final. But is hard to see Kevin Anderson copying the Russian’s approach and in a straight slugging contest, there will surely be only one winner.
Prediction: Berrettini in 4
Yesh:
This should be an incredible matchup. Anderson is still working his way back from injury, but he’s a legitimate Top 5 player. He’s improving, and if Berrettini is off his game evena. little bit the South African will make him pay.
Prediction: Anderson in 4
Damian:
Now that’s a blockbuster. Kevin Anderson’s fitness is always in doubt recently and with Matteo Berrettini performing so well at the ATP Cup, I don’t think I can pick against him. Don’t miss this one for its entertainment value.
Prediction: Berrettini in 4
Main Photo from Getty.
