day 2 of the Australian Open sees top 5 player Casper Ruud in action, along with American Jenson Brooksby. Our panelists offer their predictions for every day 2 match in Melbourne, with Last Word on Tennis providing complete tournament coverage.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Alexander Bublik
Damian Kust: Trick shots galore in this one, but who will actually take it? Your guess is as good as mine although it does seem like Bublik should enjoy the conditions more. They’re both really up-and-down though, so anything can happen. Bublik in 5
Josh Hall: A likely must watch match, both players are likely to put on a great showing in this exiting first round match up. Alexander Bublik likes to entertain with his drop shots and effortless style, as does Davidovich Fokina. I favour the latter in this match up, Bublik is too untrustworthy in these types of games and it is difficult to know what mentality he will bring. Expect the match to start tight, with Davidovich Fokina pulling away as the match goes on. Davidovich Fokina in 4
Shane Black: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Alexander Bublik: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Alexander Bublik square off in what has all the makings of a five-set match. These guys are fairly evenly matched, with the difference likely being the form on a particular day. Because of this, I’ll go with the Spaniard, who won two matches in Adelaide last week. Davidovich Fokina in 5
Yesh Ginsburg: What a fun match. I’m sad it has to be in the first round. It’s the unconventional Spaniard vs the maverick Kazakh. Right now, Davidovich Fokina is in better form. Davidovich Fokina in 4
Aleksandar Vukic vs Brandon Holt
Damian: Vukic is definitely the stronger of the too qualifiers, but he can have off days and Holt is great at absorbing power. The higher upside of the Australian should let him prevail against his opponent, who hasn’t even been doing that well at Challengers and just seems to peak for the Slams. Vukic in 5
Josh: A great chance for both men to make the second round of a Grand Slam. Both men came through qualifying and set an exciting match. Vukic, the home man will have the support of the Aussies. His big serve will help him get a lot of easy points. Holt the American, will see this as a great chance to get through to the second round. He will be hoping to repeat his level shown against Taylor Fritz in 2022. I predict Holt, to silence the home fans and continue the success of American Tennis at the moment. Holt in 4
Shane: Brandon Holt is looking to build on his game after setting the American tennis world on fire with a first-round victory over Taylor Fritz at the 2022 US Open. Holt worked through qualifying in Melbourne and is playing with confidence. Aleksander Vukic also won three qualifying matches last week. This should be a very back-and-forth match, but I favor Holt’s ability to handle the big moments. Holt in 5
Yesh: Holt’s breakout was halted by Pedro Cachin at last year’s US Open. Let’s see how far he can go this time. Holt in 4
Christopher O’Connell vs Jenson Brooksby
Damian: Brooksby is the favorite on paper, but he’s not exactly at the top of his game at the moment. O’Connell is capable of finding the upset at home, although all the playtime Brooksby got in Auckland will really help his match rhythm. Brooksby in 4
Josh: A competitive round one match up, they faced each other last year in San Diego when O’Connell came out on top in 3 sets. Expect this game to be equally tight. Brooksby goes into the match as a surprisingly strong favourite. O’Connell will have the home crowd behind him and make it a difficult environment for the American. I believe this game will go deep and would side with the consistent Brooksby to gain the edge late on. Brooksby in 5
Shane: Jenson Brooksby looked solid in a run to the Auckland semifinals last week. The variety he displays is very tough to pin down. Christopher O’Connell will have the home fans on his side, but I do not think the Aussie has the tools to puncture through Brooksby’s defensive style of play. Brooksby in 4
Yesh: Brooksby is very quietly a very good player. His quirky game can get the best of anyone, and certainly it will trouble someone at O’Connell’s level. Brooksby in 3
Tomas Machac vs Casper Ruud
Damian: Ruud is not a threat to win the event, but he should win a few rounds. Machac likes these courts though, which he displayed as recently as last year. If the Norwegian is struggling to find his groove, it could get nervy. Ruud in 4
Josh: Casper Ruud comes into this match after a disappointing in Adelaide to Laslo Djere, however he should still have too much class for the Czech. Machac has shown some decent hard court form in 2023, however Ruud if on form, will have far too much quality. Expect this to be quite convincing win for the Norwegian, with a slight chance of Machac stealing a set. Ruud in 3
Shane: After reaching two Slam finals last season, No. 2 seed Casper Ruud has the confidence to advance deep into the second week in Melbourne. That said, the Norwegian holds just a 4-3 record in his Aussie Open career. Young Tomas Machac has solid consistency in his game, but he will not be able to hang with Ruud in a best-of-five match. Ruud in 4
Yesh: Ruud might not be poised to repeat his 2022 heights, but he earned that level for a reason. That he can stay in the Top 2-3 seems unlikely, but he won’t fall too far. Ruud in 3
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