Home favorite John Millman will be tested by veteran Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in the first round of the Australian Open. Our panelists have predictions for every round 1 match including matches featuring Fabio Fognini and Reilly Opelka.
Denis Shapovalov vs Laslo Djere
Damian Kust: Denis Shapovalov started his ATP Cup campaign with a loss but played himself into form as the week went on. Laslo Djere only rarely gets a tour-level hard court win and this shouldn’t be one of these instances. Shapovalov in 3
Yesh Ginsburg: Shapovalov has gained some real consistency in his huge game, and he didn’t blink in the biggest matches on the biggest stages last year. Expect that to continue. Shapovalov in 3
Corentin Moutet vs Lucas Pouille
Damian: This could be fun but with Corentin Moutet picking up a lot of steam in Adelaide last week, he should be able to take this one. As usual, his biggest enemy here will be himself and the potential temper tantrums and mental lapses. Moutet in 4
Yesh: This is a battle between the old guard and the new for French men. I’m far more impressed with the newer players than the older ones. Moutet in 4
Alexander Bublik vs Ernesto Escobedo
Damian: Even though Ernesto Escobedo made the main draw as a lucky loser, he’s probably not even the underdog here. The American claimed a Challenger title in Bendigo since the start of the season, while Alexander Bublik played just one singles match and lost it to Aleksandar Vukic in routine fashion. How motivated will the Kazakh be? Escobedo in 5
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Yesh: This should be a fun battle between two young players with real potential. Bublik is nearly unplayable when his serve is on. His serve almost never is. Escobedo in 5
Feliciano Lopez vs John Millman
Damian: John Millman is on a five-match losing streak, can the home crowd and the big stage provide enough support for him to turn it around? Playing a veteran like Feliciano Lopez is always tricky, but the Australian should be able to make the match physical and more on his terms than his opponent’s. Millman in 5
Yesh: Millman is solid in his home country. Feliciano Lopez is old but still solid, especially on serve. Expect tiebreaks, but Millman should be better. Millman in 5
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