Day 2 at the Australian Open features American talents JJ Wolf and Ben Shelton in action on the hard courts of Melbourne. We have predictions for every day 2 match at the tournament and complete tournament coverage.
Roman Safiullin vs Denis Kudla
Steen Kirby: The lucky loser Kudla put together a great Challenger Tour record last year while struggling to translate that to the ATP main draw level. Both of these players have hovered around the top 100 in their careers Safiullin won 9 tour level matches last year in addition to a pair of ATP Challenger Tour titles to finish the year at a career best ranking. This match is a coin flip, but Safiullin seems to have slightly more upside. Safiullin in 4
Yesh Ginsburg: Denis Kudla might be a grass-court specialist, but he got quite the draw as a Lucky Loser here. Kyrgios withdrew, which is great news for Roman Safiullin, but the American should be better than the Russian anyway. Kudla in 4
Ben Shelton vs Zhang Zhizhen
Damian Kust: What a matchup. Zhang plays a heavy enough ball to keep Shelton guessing and stand up to his explosive game. The Chinese seems to have lost some of his 2022 form though and has been struggling for consistency. Match of the round if they both deliver. Shelton in 5
Yesh: Ben Shelton is going to be something special, and he’s about to start proving it now. Shelton in 3
Shane Black: Ben Shelton and Zhang Zhizhen are both making their Australian Open main draw debut. Shelton, who is just 20 years old, has top-ten potential. His lefty forehand and cannon of a serve should carry him into round two. Shelton in 4
JJ Wolf vs Jordan Thompson
Damian: Wolf is still a bit too much of a loose cannon, but we’re starting to see him produce mature displays more and more often. He needs another one against Thompson, who will do everything possible to grind him down. Wolf’s serve and forehand could prove just a tiny bit too much. Wolf in 5
Yesh: I admit that I’m particular to Wolf as I watched him consistently while he played in college, but there’s a lot to like about his game. As long as he’s healthy–which he seems right now–he has the advantage in this matchup. Wolf in 4
Shane: JJ Wolf and Jordan Thompson square off in a match that should provide a lot of fireworks. Both players have a flare for the spectacular and do an excellent job of playing with variety. In the end, Wolf’s hard court comfortability should lead him past the Aussie. Wolf in 5
Hsu Yu Hsiou vs Alex de Minaur
Damian: It’s a great story for Hsu, who won the boys’ doubles here in 2019 and is playing with so much confidence at the moment. De Minaur will draw errors out of him though and the Taiwanese doesn’t really have the weight of shot to take this one. de Minaur in 3
Yesh: De Minaur got a good draw here, and he should take full advantage. I don’t see this being too close. De Minaur in 3
Shane: Hometown favorite Alex de Minaur opens up his Australian Open campaign against 23-year-old qualifier Hsu Yu Hsiou. While Hsiou looked impressive in his three qualifying wins, I do not think he has the consistency to break down de Minaur’s game. de Minaur in 3
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