It’s an all Canadian matchup on day 1 of the Australian Open with Felix Auger-Aliassime taking on Vasek Pospisil. Here at Last Word on Sports we have predictions for every day 1 singles match in Melbourne and complete tournament coverage.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Vasek Pospisil
Damian Kust: Matches between players who know each other well tend to get a bit weird and Pospisil has already scored one upset over Auger-Aliassime in the past. It’s going to be much tougher now, both because of how far the Canadian has come since and due to the longer best-of-five format. Auger-Aliassime in 4
Shane Black: Felix Auger-Aliassime won his first ATP title last season. With that pressure off his back, he is ready to compete deep into Slams. I do not think he should have any trouble getting by veteran Vasek Pospisil. Auger-Aliassime in 3
Jakub Bobro: After a dominant finish to last season, Auger-Aliassime’s season-opening loss to Alexei Popyrin came as a big surprise. Pospisil also has had a slightly disappointing start to the season after finishing 2022 with a Challenger title. The 32-year-old is 1-2 on the year with losses to Roman Safiullin and Kwon Soonwoo. Pospisil will make Auger-Aliassime work hard for the win but I expect the 22-year-old to deliver. Auger Aliassime in 4
Oscar Otte vs Juncheng Shang
Damian: Otte hasn’t really been the same since injuring himself in the summer, but he still has the advantage here and could overpower the youngster. Shang seems to have done some great work in the off-season though and it doesn’t have to be that easy. Otte in 4
Shane: Veteran Oscar Otte will have all he can handle against 17-year-old Juncheng Shang. Shang dropped just one set in his three qualifying wins. I like the promise of his game, but I believe Otte’s experience will be too much. Otte in 4
Jakub: Otte managed to keep himself afloat on the main tour last year despite a 20-26 record. The German enters Melbourne with a 1-2 record with his only win coming against Dalibor Svrcina. Shang is one of the most exciting prospects in tennis, making his slam main draw debut at 18 after qualifying past Fabian Marozsan, Fernando Verdasco and Zsombor Piros. Shang has the momentum and more talent, so I could definitely see him win this match. Shang in 4
Sebastian Baez vs Jason Kubler
Damian: Sebastian Baez has won just 1 of his last 17 matches. Jason Kubler is probably among the best draws he could have gotten, but it’s still likely to be a bit much. The Australian has already played some great matches in 2023 and he won’t even need to hit that same sort of level to come out on top here.
Kubler in 4
Shane: 22-year-old Sebastian Baez will be given all he can handle against Australian wildcard Jason Kubler. Kubler is 3-1 on the young season with wins over Dan Evans and Albert Ramos Vinolas. Baez is 1-16 since July 2022. I believe Kubler will use the crowd to his advantage and take down the young Argentine. Kubler in 5
Jakub: Kubler is coming into the Australian Open with some good form, 3-1 on the year including a win over Dan Evans. Baez is winless in 2023, losing to Pedro Martinez and Ben Shelton as his tour level hard-court record drops to 5-21. The Argentine will fight hard here but Kubler should be winning in his current form. Kubler in 5
Brandon Nakashima vs Mackenzie McDonald
Damian: This all-American battle feels like it could really go both ways. Nakashima’s generally the better player and has that phenomenal two-handed backhand, but McDonald should enjoy the conditions a little bit more. It will probably depend on how much the 27-year-old can impose himself on the youngster and put pressure on him in the rallies. McDonald in 5
Shane: This American first-round showdown may be the most intriguing match not featuring a seeded player. Brandon Nakashima and Mackenzie McDonald are incredibly consistent players that will hang at the baseline and hit for hours. I believe the progress of Nakashima’s serve will pay significant dividends in a match I expect to have very slim margins. Nakashima in 4
Jakub: Coming into Melbourne with a 2-2 record, McDonald is unlikely to recreate his 2021 run to the fourth round here. Nakashima is not an unbeatable opponent though. The 21-year-old has played some great tennis over the past two years but is not always consistent. This should be an interesting test for both players. McDonald in 5
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