The happy slam is here again with the 2023 Australian Open kicking off in Melbourne. We have predictions for every day 1 men’s and women’s singles match this year and complete tournament coverage here at Last Word on Sports.
Cameron Norrie vs Luca Van Assche
Damian Kust: Somewhat underpowered youngsters usually match up terribly against Norrie and this could be the case again. Van Assche had a great run near the end of 2023, but you gotta have a certain weight of shot to be able to pressure the Brit. Norrie ought to be pretty comfortable in this one. Norrie in 3
Shane Black: Cameron Norrie has been in outstanding form to start the season, winning six of the seven matches he has played. Norrie should be able to dictate this match from start to finish against the 18-year-old Frenchman. Norrie in 3
Jakub Bobro: An exciting first-round match here. Norrie has never made it past the third round in Melbourne before but this time around, he enters with a 6-1 record including wins over Rafael Nadal and Taylor Fritz. Van Assche burst onto the scene on Challengers at the end of last season and despite a slower start to this year, should be an interesting watch in his slam main draw debut. Norrie in 3
Lorenzo Sonego vs Nuno Borges
Damian: Borges played very well at the last hard-court Slam in New York and he generally seems to know how to raise his game for the big stage. He’ll need it here and while he’s not the favorite to win, he should have a good chance to push Sonego and make this match competitive. Sonego in 5
Shane: Lorenzo Sonego is looking to turn the page after an up-and-down 2022 season. The fast pace of the Melbourne courts should favor Sonego’s aggressive style of play. I expect him to be able to hit through Nuno Borges, who has more professional success on the clay. Sonego in 4
Jakub: Borges opted not to play any warm-ups while Sonego got off to a winless start in two matches, one of which was a retirement. The Italian has a good record in Melbourne, 9-5 including qualifying. Borges is a decent player but Sonego should win here. Sonego in 4
Ilya Ivashka vs Botic van de Zandschulp
Damian: We haven’t seen Ivashka on the court yet, which at such an early stage of a season is a pretty big hit to his chances. Match rhythm will be on van de Zandschulp’s side and in a pretty tight matchup, this could make all the difference. van de Zandschulp in 4
Shane: Ilya Ivashka and Botic van de Zandschulp are very similar players who have found success on the hard courts of Melbourne. I expect a tight battle in this match, but I favor van de Zandschulp because he was able to get three matches under his belt in Pune. This will be Ivashka’s first match of the season. van de Zandschulp in 4
Jakub: Van De Zandschulp started his season with a decent run to the semifinals in Pune, beating Flavio Cobolli and Maximilian Marterer, while Ivashka comes in with no lead-up. The players are pretty even at their best but with the Dutchman showing form coming in, I will go with Van De Zandschulp to win. van de Zandschulp in 4
Mikael Ymer vs Yoshihito Nishioka
Damian: It’s been over a week since Nishioka retired to Sebastian Korda in the semifinals at Adelaide. If that was enough for him to recover properly, he should be the favorite against Ymer here. He’s much more creative and plays a very unpleasant ball, but it’s not like the Swede is without a chance as he also can’t really blow him off the court. Nishioka in 4
Shane: Yoshihito Nishioka is seeded at a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. The 27-year-old had a career year in 2022 and carried that form to 2023, making the semifinals in Adelaide. Mikael Ymer, who has also looked strong to start the season, has a variety that could trouble Nishioka. I believe Nishioka’s consistency will win out in what I expect to be a very back-and-forth match. Nishioka in 5
Jakub: A baseline battle. Nishioka picked up where he left off in 2022 after winning a title in Seoul. He defeated Holger Rune in his 2023 season opener en route to a semifinal in Adelaide, where Nishioka had to unfortunately retire. Ymer had a strong run in the second week in Adelaide, reaching the quarterfinals as a qualifier. Th Swede is coming off a 6-1 6-2 loss to Kwon Soonwoo but should be fit, which might be enough of an edge for Ymer. Ymer in 5
Main Photo:
