We end the third round on Day 6 of the Australian Open. The eight remaining spots in the Round of 16 will be decided on Saturday. As always, our writers here at LastWordOnTennis share their thoughts on all the matches with you. We split the Day 6 matches between two articles–with the other article featuring Novak Djokovic vs Grigor Dimitrov. Predicting these matches are Josh Hall, Damian Kust, and Shane Black. Who do you think will win?
Australian Open Day 6 Men’s Predictions
Ben Shelton vs Alexei Popyrin
Josh:
An unlikely Round 3 matchup, but an incredibly tough one to call. All the pressure will be on the home man. Both players come into the game off the back of five-setters; whoever is the fresher man may take this.
Prediction: Shelton in 4
Damian:
This will be very serve-oriented, but should deliver on some incredible shotmaking as well. It will likely come mostly off Shelton’s racket and the 20-year-old has been handling the pressure of a Slam exceptionally well so far. It might make all the difference in the key moments like it did when he played Zhang and Jarry in the previous two rounds.
Prediction: Shelton in 5
Shane:
In his second Grand Slam appearance, 20-year-old Ben Shelton has looked the part. His serve and forehand combination is a formidable weapon that will help drive him up the rankings. This match is all about how Shelton is about to handle what will be a very rowdy Australian crowd. The crowd helped push Alexei Popyrin past Taylor Fritz. Not to take anything away from Popyrin, who played one of the best matches of his career. I believe the Aussie gets it done.
Prediction: Popyrin in 4
J.J. Wolf vs Michael Mmoh
Josh:
Two players that will be familiar with each other’s game, an all-American clash. Wolf is playing the best tennis of his career now; his game has developed massively over the past few months. I cant see the game of Mmoh troubling him.
Prediction: Wolf in 3
Damian:
Wolf used to struggle against players who test his rally tolerance, but he seems to be almost over that phase now. He also has two head-to-head wins against Mmoh, although one of them on an extremely rapid indoor court. His weaponry and shotmaking should be a bit too much for the older of the Americans.
Prediction: Wolf in 4
Shane:
J.J. Wolf and Michael Mmoh have been regulars on the Challenger Tour for the past few seasons and are now meeting at the third round of a Grand Slam. Mmoh has the more impressive win this week–a four-set victory over Sascha Zverev. That said, I believe Wolf’s physicality and tools from the baseline will be the difference in this match.
Prediction: Wolf in 4
Holger Rune vs Ugo Humbert
Josh:
Rune is building into the tournament nicely and sneaking under the radar. I think he will be too consistent for the unpredictable Humbert. Rune can tend to switch off for periods of time so I can see this going a bit further than expected.
Prediction: Rune in 4
Damian:
Rune has looked extremely good so far, not wasting any time in the straightforward wins over Krajinovic and the ultimate banana skin, Maxime Cressy. While Humbert is returning to his previous form and has definitely picked up some confidence recently, the Dane should be far superior if he keeps up this level.
Prediction: Rune in 3
Shane:
Holger Rune’s rise to the top of the sport has been meteoric. The young Dane has not dropped a set this week and looks like a man on a mission. While Ugo Humbert’s run has been solid, given how he played in 2022, he does not have the weapons to puncture an in-form Rune.
Prediction: Rune in 3
Novak Djokovic vs Grigor Dimitrov
Josh:
The key factor in this is how the hamstring on Novak Djokovic is feeling. It is an injury that tends to be very hard to compete with. Djokovic does tend to do this in tournaments–look injured then come out firing. I think this may be the case.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Damian:
How serious is Djokovic’s hamstring issue? This should give us more info than his matches against Carballes Baena and Couacaud. His movement will be tested by someone as aggressive and fluid as Dimitrov. The Bulgarian has suffered plenty of close defeats against the greats of the game in the past though and he might not be up to the challenge here.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
Shane:
As the draw opens up, 21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic should feel very confident in his ability to make a deep run in Melbourne. This is a match that requires his full attention, as an under-the-radar Grigor Dimitrov can be a very dangerous player. I believe Dimitrov is in the proper form to get his second career win over Djokovic. That said, I trust the Serb more when it matters most.
Prediction: Djokovic in 5
Main Photo from Getty.
