Third round action at the Australian Open sees Roberto Bautista Agut taking his crafty game up against Taylor Fritz, while Daniil Medvedev looks to march on vs Botic van de Zandschulp. Our panelists have predictions for every match on day 6, including Andrey Rublev vs Marin Cilic.
Daniil Medvedev vs Botic van de Zandschulp
Jack Edward: We always talk about the favourites for Slams getting that early test to play them into form – Daniil Medvedev has had that early test in Kyrgios. At the same time, Botic Van De Zandschulp shouldn’t be underestimated. The Dutchman is very comfortable moving forward giving him the option to counter Medvedev’s deep return position. He was also the only man to take a set off Medvedev at last year’s US Open. I’m expecting the same result. Medvedev in 4
Damian Kust: They met at the US Open where Daniil Medvedev prevailed in four sets, but never really felt in trouble. The Russian hasn’t shown any dents in his armor so far, dropping a set to Nick Kyrgios in a pretty special performance from the Australian. This match might be similar in a way – if Botic van de Zandschulp can come out redlining and playing his best tennis without hesitation, he’s certainly equipped to go toe-to-toe with the World No. 2. However, maintaining that quality over a best-of-five scenario is simply a completely different challenge, which is why the top seeds are significantly tougher to upset at the Grand Slams than in other events. Medvedev in 4
Jakub Bobro: Medvedev may not have been popular with the Melbourne crowd in his victory over Nick Kyrgios but the Russian is the top favorite to take the title regardless. Standing in his way is Van De Zandschulp, who beat Jan-Lennard Struff and got a retirement from Richard Gasquet. Medvedev has the superior groundstrokes and if he serves like he did against Kyrgios, this match will not last too long. Medvedev in 3
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Taylor Fritz
Jack: There’s a reason Roberto Bautista Agut is 5-1 against Taylor Fritz. He has been able to wear the American down in the past, making Fritz doubt when to go for the right shots. If ever there was a match for Fritz to win though, it would be this one – he’s in the form of his life and he’s moving phenomenally well. I just think the percentages will tip slightly in RBA’s favour for a sixth time. Bautista Agut in 4
Damian: It’s a shame that these two are meeting in the third round already, because both are enjoying an excellent start to the season and would be potential dark horses for the title. Roberto Bautista Agut has a healthy lead in the head-to-head, which makes sense as he’s one of the most consistent players out there and specializes at moving the ball around the court, which helps him to expose Taylor Fritz’s lacking movement. The American is playing very well too and if Bautista Agut was in his late 2021 form, I’d definitely be picking him for the upset here. However, the Spaniard found new life at the beginning of January and with this being a rather pleasant matchup, he seems to be the slight favorite. Bautista Agut in 5
Jakub: The Spaniard continues to be a consistent presence at slams, reaching the third round once again after wins over Stefano Travaglia and Philipp Kohlschreiber. Bautista Agut has a strong head-to-head over his next opponent, Taylor Fritz, leading 5-1. Fritz has looked good in wins against Maximilian Marterer and Frances Tiafoe and I believe in the fast hard court conditions in Melbourne, the American will be able to break the negative head-to-head. Fritz in 4
Dan Evans vs Felix Auger-Aliassime
Jack: It’s difficult to say how Felix Auger-Aliassime will be feeling after his last two gruelling matches. The physical toll on the Canadian is one thing but he must be feeling the effects of the mental effort he’s expended too. Dan Evans is definitely one for getting inside his opponent’s heads and has played outstandingly well this year. A third marathon match is perhaps one too many. Evans in 4
Damian: Felix Auger-Aliassime has spent over eight hours on the court already, winning fewer points than his opponents in both matches so far. That degree of being clutch is probably unsustainable in the long run, also because it will leave him a lot more weary coming into the next matches. Dan Evans received a walk-over from Arthur Rinderknech in the second round, which means he only required less than two hours to reach this stage. He shouldn’t be undercooked though as he went 3-0 at the ATP Cup and reached the semifinals in Sydney. As both players are in great form right now, the one who will be significantly fresher should have the edge. Evans in 5
Jakub: An interesting match-up between the variety of Evans and strong baseline game of Auger-Aliassime. The two have also had different roads with Evans having an easy win over David Goffin and a walkover from Arthur Rinderknech. Auger-Aliassime has played nine difficult sets against two of his peers in Emil Ruusuvuori and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. It will be a tough match, but I expect Auger-Aliassime to prevail. Auger-Aliassime in 5
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Pablo Andujar vs Alex de Minaur
Jack: Alex De Minaur has made Slam fourth rounds before but never at the Australian Open. Against the world #83 Pablo Andujar, a man that has an 18% win-rate against top-50 players on hard-courts, at his home Slam, there is no way the Aussie will let this opportunity slip without a fight. De Minaur will find a way to make it happen. de Minaur in 4
Damian: Pablo Andujar has now won at least a match in five consecutive Grand Slams and has been clearly exceeding expectations at the Majors recently. Undeniably, favorable draws have been a factor though. The veteran Spaniard had to take out Damir Dzumhur and Alex Molcan to get there and while Alex de Minaur didn’t have it that much tougher, Andujar could be facing a very steep rise in the quality of the opposition. The Australian hasn’t had a good tournament in a while but can benefit from Casper Ruud’s withdrawal and always seems to raise his level at home. He should be able to outlast the experienced opponent. de Minaur in 3
Jakub: Andujar has taken advantage of Casper Ruud’s withdrawal with wins over Damir Dzumhur and Alex Molcan taking him to the third round. This is the first time the 35-year-old has reached the third round in Australia but I believe that is how far he goes as he takes on Alex De Minaur next. The 22-year-old has not advanced past the third round in Melbourne yet but this is a prime opportunity as the Australian looks in form and should not have too much trouble against Andujar at this point in his career. de Minaur in 3
Main Photo from Getty Images
