The second round of men’s singles starts on Day 4 of the Australian Open. We get 16 matches as players look to move on to Round 3. Which players will those be? As always, our writers here at LWOT share their thoughts. We split the day’s matches between this and three other articles. Those articles feature Andrey Rublev vs Christopher Eubanks, Novak Djokovic vs Alexei Popyrin, and Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Jordan Thompson. Predicting these matches are Jack Edward, Jordan Reynolds, Damian Kust, and Tope Oke.
Australian Open Day 4 Men’s Predictions
Gael Monfils vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Jack:
An extremely polished performance from Monfils against Hanfmann dispels any notion that he can’t still play some fantastic tennis. The improvements to Etcheverry’s game have been substantial, however. The Argentinian will try and wear the veteran down but I still think the 37-year-old has got what it takes.
Prediction: Monfils in 4
Jordan:
Both players impressed hugely in the opening round, with straight sets victories against Andy Murray and Yannick Hanfmann. The renaissance of 37-year-old Monfils since the second half of last season has been wonderful to see, and I think he will win again. His athleticism and skills are capable of managing the formidable Etcheverry forehand on a hard court, and I think the rest of his talent will then get him over the line.
Prediction: Monfils in 4
Damian:
Both players fended off fairly dangerous opposition in round one comfortably and should deliver a bit of a classic. This will be a huge physical workout and even though that used to be a Monfils thing, Etcheverry should be better prepared now. The Argentinian is tapping into the potential of his serve and forehand on hard courts and has an excellent record in matches that went over four hours.
Prediction: Etcheverry in 5
Tope:
Two of the most impressive players of the first round meet for the first time in what promises to be a blockbuster. Expect fireworks and fantastic winners from both in a match that will go down to the wire. I usually go with the more experienced player but this time I’ll back the more resilient Argentine to make it through to the 3rd round here for the first time in his career
Prediction: Etcheverry in 5
Jannik Sinner vs Jesper De Jong
Jack:
Rightly considered one of the favourites for the tournament, very little is going to stop Jannik Sinner from setting up a blockbuster semifinal with Novak Djokovic. Jesper De Jong will struggle to hang with the Italian phenom.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Jordan:
Sinner dealt with Botic van de Zandschulp professionally and clinically in the opening round. There is a quiet confidence around the Italian. Is this his time to take the next step to Grand Slam glory? He will deal with the challenge of De Jong, who beat clay court specialist Pedro Cachin in the first round, and will not be able to live with the intensity of the Italian’s shots.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Damian:
De Jong had a very professional performance to beat Pedro Cachin in the opening round and anything from here onwards is going to be a bonus. He is absolutely flying right now with that heavy forehand being dangerous while still having a lot of margin for error. But this is Sinner we’re talking about and it’s a step too far.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Tope:
Jesper De Jong finally ticked playing in Melbourne off his bucket list with an impressive win over Pedro Cachin. But that will be all for him here as he encounters one of the truly elite players in the sport and favorite to win his maiden Slam, Jannik Sinner. They’re miles apart and so will be the result.
Prediction: Sinner in 3
Fabian Marozsan vs Francisco Cerundolo
Jack:
Fabian Marozsan came through a potentially tricky first round against Marin Cilic, cementing his status as a bit of a dark horse for this tournament. Cerundolo has shown himself to be vulnerable of late—I’d expect Marozsan to take this match by the scruff of the neck.
Prediction: Marozsan in 3
Jordan:
Cerundolo will need to improve to win here. He lost his opening two matches of the season, and then needed a fifth set to overcome Australian wildcard Dayne Sweeny in the first round. Marozsan defeated Marin Cilic, and is improving all the time on hard courts. I feel this could go to five sets, but my instinct is that the physically strong Cerundolo will do enough to get it done in the fifth again.
Prediction: Cerundolo in 5
Damian:
Marozsan beat Cilic in a battle of potential dark horses and he’s actually the favorite over the seed here. Cerundolo seems to be a bit off right now and after losing to Alexandre Muller 1-6 1-6 in Auckland, he was also in struggle town vs Dane Sweeny in round one here. How will his big forehand react to getting rushed so much, too?
Prediction: Marozsan in 4
Tope:
Francisco Cerundolo struggled to beat an exuberant Dane Sweeny in five sets to make it to the second round for the second year running. Quite baffling that he goes into the match against his Hungarian opponent as the underdog. The Argentine hit a mammoth 57 winners in the first round and there’s no reason why he cannot win this
Prediction: Cerundolo in 4
Frances Tiafoe vs Tomas Machac
Jack:
Tiafoe came through one of the trickiest first rounds of the Australian Open so far in Borna Coric. His level is difficult to argue against so, although Machac is a potential banana skin of a lower-ranked opponent, I’m still expecting Tiafoe to deliver a polished performance.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 4
Jordan:
Tiafoe’s performance against Borna Coric was somewhat uneven, but he still came through in four sets. This is a potentially dangerous clash for him. Machac has made huge progress in the last 12 months, and has a solid all-round game. It is a big call, but I feel this could be a shock. Tiafoe has suffered surprise defeats in the past at Grand Slams, and the Czech will pile on pressure and ask questions. The American also has a poor record in matches that go to a fifth set.
Prediction: Machac in 5
Damian:
This is fun and it’s good to see Machac back healthy after a 50-minute defeat in Auckland. That gives him a shot and Tiafoe hasn’t been at the peak of his powers recently. The matchup edge is probably with the American who can take away some of that timing edge Machac usually has over his opponents. But the in-form, confident Czech might still snatch it.
Prediction: Machac in 5
Tope:
Tomas Machac began the year in great form and he earned another first round win with a dominant display in a straight sets win. He’ll be looking to make it past the 2nd round in his third attempt but I don’t think he’ll be third time lucky. Frances Tiafoe is one of the best serve and volley players in the game and I expect the American to wrap this up quickly.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 3
Main Photo Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
