Day 5 signals the start of the Australian Open third round. Friday in Melbourne will see eight incredible men’s matches, and we’re here to predict all of them for you. The eight matches will be split between this and a second article. Predicting this set of matches are Jim Smith, Damian Kust, Fraser Learmonth, and Harsh Bhoot.
Australian Open Day 5 Men’s Predictions
Marton Fucsovics vs Milos Raonic
Jim:
Milos Raonic will surely think he can do real damage this year, with the Canadian’s game well-suited to attacking, first-strike tennis. Marton Fucsovics did brilliantly to escape against Stan Wawrinka, an escape his impressive performance fully merited, but that will surely have taken a fair amount out of his legs in a match he would likely struggle to win at the best of times.
Prediction: Raonic in 3
Damian:
Grand Slam upsets are sort of Marton Fucsovics’s specialty these days. The Hungarian is always a tricky rival to face, giving his opponents very little space to work with and making them look average. Milos Raonic owns two head-to-head wins on grass, definitely Fucsovics worst surface. This should be much tighter here but I think Raonic is playing just good enough to pull through.
Prediction: Raonic in 4
Fraser:
Raonic looks in the form of his life at the moment. The Canadian is serving as well as he ever has done and will surely be hopeful of a return to the latter stages of a Grand Slam after being absent from them for a couple of years. In Fucsovics he faces a talented but inconsistent opponent. The Hungarian too often scores big wins only to lose to lesser opponents in tournaments. He picked up another big win in his last match, beating Wawrinka in five sets. However, it is a big ask to expect him to repeat that performance here. If he plays at the same level he is in with a chance, but he so rarely does so in back to back matches. Pick the Canadian to take this one.
Prediction: Raonic in 4
Harsh:
Marton Fuscovics has played two five setters so far and that’s not good if your next opponent is Milos Raonic. The Canadian is one of the best servers on tour and any one who faces him has to stay sharp all the time. The Hungarian will be fatigued and Raonic should be all over him. Expect an easy win for the Canadian.
Prediction: Raonic in 3
Pedro Martinez vs Dusan Lajovic
Jim:
Dusan Lajovic played indifferently at the ATP Cup, but he has found some form this week. Pedro Martinez will not want for motivation in this match and the Spaniard too has been playing well, but in the crucial moments Lajovic’s considerably greater experience should tip the balance in his favor.
Prediction: Lajovic in 5
Damian:
Dusan Lajovic is playing better than people give him credit for right now. The Serbian lost both his ATP Cup matches but performed at a very decent level and scored an impressive win over Alexander Bublik here in the second round. Pedro Martinez is doing really well at the Australian Open for the second year in a row, which is a bit surprising given his usual surface profile. Lajovic should keep a steadier level and win in a relatively tight battle.
Prediction: Lajovic in 4
Fraser:
Two clay court specialists who few would have expected to be here now stand a great chance of making a fourth round appearance in Melbourne. Lajovic did well to dismiss the mercurial Bublik in his last match, while Martinez scored a solid win over talented Finn Ruusuvouri in his second round fixture. It’s hard to know who to pick here with both unexpected additions to the fourth round. Lajovic is more proven on the tour and on hard courts and I think that will make the difference here.
Prediction: Lajovic in 3
Harsh:
Both players are in with a great chance to get to the last 16. Pedro Martinez has taken out two quality players so far and he’s capable of taking out a third in Dusan Lajovic. The Serb played within himself to take out Alexander Bublik and Martinez is another tricky opponent on current form. Expect a grueling contest with Martinez not afraid to taking chances on big points and the fearlessness should see him through.
Prediction: Martinez in 5
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Denis Shapovalov vs Felix Auger-Aliassime
Jim:
This ought to be some contest. Denis Shapovalov does lead the head-to-head 3-1, but circumstances have intervened in his favor more than once. It is, in fact, a very evenly matched rivalry, but what might just favor the elder of the two Canadians is the lower trajectory of his groundstrokes and more compact swings.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 5
Damian:
Matches between players that know each other so well tend to get weird and confusing, usually also below their regular level. Denis Shapovalov leads the head-to-head but with two players still in the development phase, we can’t be quite sure how relevant that will be. It seems like Felix Auger-Aliassime wasn’t rattled by another final loss last week; he also appears fine physically. Looking at their overall performance in the past week or so, he’s been slightly more impressive to me.
Prediction: Auger-Aliassime in 5
Fraser:
An all-Canandian affair awaits in the third round as these two best friends meet early in a slam for what feels like the 10th time. Their matches are always entertaining and the two are sure to be stars of the sport for years to come. The only thing separating these two at the moment is mental fortitude in big moments. Auger-Aliassime has next to none, having vanished in the seven tour finals he’s played in. Shapovalov however is a lot more mentally solid than he has been in the passed. His win over Sinner in the first round is a good example of that and he should be able to see his way past his good friend in this one.
prediction: Shapovalov in 4
Harsh:
Third round clashes seldom get better. Denis Shapovalov has been playing strong tennis this week and he looks hungry to get to the second week. He faces his toughest challenger yet in the talented Felix Auger-Aliassime. The younger Canadian trails the head to head 1-2 but knows full well he’s in with a chance to equalize that stat. Not much to separate the two except the fact that Auger-Aliassime’s backhand isn’t as lethal as his forehand and that could be targeted by Shapovalov. Expect a tight contest with Auger-Aliassime to wow everyone with his game but Shapovalov should nab the match directing most of the traffic to his countryman’s backhand.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 5
Dominic Thiem vs Nick Kyrgios
Jim:
This is surely the match of the day, at least on paper. But Dominic Thiem will be the heavy favorite and rightly so. Nick Kyrgios has impressed so far this week, but it is a long time since the Australian has beaten one of the world’s best when it matters most. Expect Thiem to advance.
Prediction: Thiem in 4
Damian:
What a blockbuster right here. Nick Kyrgios always carries the “if he cared, he’d win everything” claims but let’s be honest here. He is definitely a threat to win against anyone but it looks like Dominic Thiem might be fully past his early losses in Grand Slam days. On top of that, Kyrgios’s fitness is a question mark if it goes the distance.
Prediction: Thiem in 4
Fraser:
If there was ever a match that screams must-see tennis it is this one. Kyrgios found himself in a five-set thriller against Humbert in the second round. The mercurial Aussie racked up aces, winners, tweeners and drop shots in what was an amazing display of tennis. If he plays at that level here Thiem is in trouble. The Austrian is yet to face stern opposition in this tournament. He is also a player who usually requires a lot of matches to reach his best. He won’t have that here. However, he was a finalist here last year and is the reigning US Open champion. He is deservedly the favourite in this match, but if Kyrgios plays at his best then Thiem is in real trouble. I think the Aussie cares enough about this tournament to focus himself again and will get it done here.
Prediction: Kyrgios in 4
Harsh:
A match that probably won’t live up to the hype. Nick Kyrgios played the match of his life but it took a lot out of him and that’s not a good thing when you have to face Dominic Thiem. The Austrian loves a physical match and he’ll make it so more often than not. Kyrgios will enjoy the crowd behind him and that could spur him for a set and a half but Thiem’s been dominant this week and should get the win.
Prediction: Thiem in 4
Main Photo from Getty.
