Day 1 at the Australian Open sees former Australian Open Champion Stan Wawrinka taking on Alex Molcan, with Stefanos Tsitsipas also on the match card. We have predictions for every day 1 men’s and women’s match in Melbourne here at Last Word on Tennis.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Quentin Halys
Shane Black: Stefanos Tsitsipas is one of the favorites to win this event. He did not drop a singles match in the United Cup and should continue that run in Melbourne. Tstisipas in 3
Damian Kust: The end result should go as planned, but a couple of very tight sets should be expected here. The Tsitsipas backhand return will be under fire early and Halys seems to be slowly finding his feet on the ATP Tour. He’s got the peak level to win this,but executing it over at least three sets won’t be easy. Tsitsipas in 4
Jakub Bobro: Tsitsipas enters as one of the favorites for the title, performing very well at United Cup while Djokovic has questions around his fitness and Nadal struggles for form. Halys, one of the best players on the Challenger Tour last year, has had a decent start to the season and could take a set. Tsitsipas in 4
Stan Wawrinka vs Alex Molcan
Shane: Stan Wawrinka has shown flashes of his previous top-five form over the last six months. He has had a ton of success in Melbourne, including raising the title in 2014. I expect him to take down an out-of-form Alex Molcan. Wawrinka in 4
Damian: Wawrinka looked solid in the two matches he played at the United Cup. While there are obvious question marks regarding his fitness, he should be favored to win this match against Molcan, who is suffering from a bit of a lull in recent months and hasn’t managed to grab a win in 2023 yet. Wawrinka in 4
Jakub: An interesting first-round match. Molcan, coached by Marian Vajda, has not gotten off to a good start in 2023 with two straight-set losses. Wawrinka showed some decent play in his two United Cup matches and could face Felix Auger-Aliassime if he wins. I expect Molcan to perform better on this bigger stage but ultimately I see Wawrinka winning. Wawrinka in 4
Christopher Eubanks vs Soon-Woo Kwon
Shane: These two played a tight three-setter in Doha last year, with Soonwoo Kwon emerging victorious. I believe the opposite result comes true in this matchup. Christopher Eubanks played the best tennis of his career to end the 2022 season and should feel confident in his current form. Eubanks in 5
Damian: It’s closer than it seems, especially as Kwon is coming off a very long week in Adelaide. Eubanks is the most complete player he’s ever been at the moment and likely should make a top 100 push soon. With the South Korean potentially tired, he might have a great opportunity to make the second round here, although it’s certainly not his favorite matchup. Eubanks in 5
Jakub: An exciting first-round match between two players outside the Top 80. Eubanks got the American wildcard after finishing runner-up to Ben Shelton in the wildcard challenge, playing some great tennis in back-to-back weeks to earn it. Kwon has become the first lucky loser finalist on the ATP Tour since 2019, losing to Tomas Machac in Adelaide qualifying before coming back in to beat him in the main draw before taking out Jack Draper in the semifinals. It’s a close call but I will lean towards Eubanks. Eubanks in 5
Hubert Hurkacz vs Pedro Martinez
Shane: The fast courts of Melbourne play perfectly into the hands of Hubert Hurkacz. He should be able to roll by clay-court specialist Pedro Martinez. Hurkacz in 3
Damian: Hurkacz will have another chance to break the R2 at a hard court Slam curse, but before he gets there, he still needs to take out Martinez. Luckily for him, the Spaniard doesn’t fare that well in quicker conditions and shouldn’t provide that much of a challenge. Hurkacz has been scrappy in best-of-five play though, so maybe this gets longer than it should be? Hurkacz in 4
Jakub: Hurkacz has had an air of inconsistency around him for the past year but gets a very acceptable draw. Martinez could grind out this match if Hurkacz implodes with unforced errors but otherwise this is the Pole’s match to lose. Hurkacz in 3
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