There should be no shortage of excitement for the fans on day two at the Australian Open. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the schedule, including Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Zizou Bergs, Alex de Minaur vs Milos Raonic, Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Dominic Thiem, Ben Shelton vs Roberto Bautista Agut, Daniil Medvedev vs Terence Atmane, and Hubert Hurkacz vs Omar Jasika. But who will advance?
Australian Open Day 2 Predictions
Andy Murray vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Jim: At his best, Andy Murray would naturally be the heavy favourite to win this match. The question is whether Murray can still play his best tennis at this late stage of his career? His results towards the end of last year were not encouraging and Tomas Martin Etcheverry is a player on an upward trajectory.
Prediction: Etcheverry in 4
Yesh: I don’t know how long Murray will last or where his career will go from here, but early rounds of Slams against weaker players aren’t those who will take him out, even now. Give me the Brit.
Prediction: Murray in 3
Damian: Prepare for six hours of fun. This match has five sets written all over it and the question becomes who do you like in such a long battle. Etcheverry outlasted Murray in their Basel clash last year and with his great record in matches that go over the four-hour mark, it’s tough no to back him as also the younger, fitter player.
Prediction: Etcheverry in 5
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Gael Monfils vs Yannick Hanfmann
Jim: This should be a very watchable match. Contests involving Gael Monfils usually are. It’s not clear how much the 37-year-old Monfils has left in the tank but he looked sharp enough in defeat against Fabian Maroszan last-time out. If he can maintain that level, it’s not unthinkable that he could get the better of Yannick Hanfmann.
Prediction: Monfils in 4
Yesh: Monfils had sparks of brilliance last year, but his age is clearly finally catching up with him. On the other hand, he sometimes seems more direct and less of a showman on court, so maybe that’s a net positive for him?
Prediction: Monfils in 3
Damian: Monfils still has the quality and the second half of last year was pretty much back to his best. He’ll be hoping for a bit of a run and another attempt at beating Djokovic here. This is a winnable opportunity with Hanfmann likely about to drop off a little bit in the rankings and not that good on hard courts in general.
Prediction: Monfils in 4
Sebastian Korda vs Vit Kopriva
Jim: Sebastian Korda has all the shots and plenty of easy power, but has struggled to string it all together at times. However, whilst Vit Kopriva is a solid competitor, it’s hard to see how he will really be able to hurt Korda. This should be comfortable enough for the American.
Prediction: Korda in 3
Yesh: Korda can’t stay fully healthy, but the sky is the limit for him if he can. Besides, his family can do nothing but win in Australia. Why should he be different?
Prediction: Korda in 3
Damian: It’s a big moment for Kopriva, who didn’t even drop a set in the qualifying draw but also had a very comfortable path. He can play on hard-courts if you allow him to take it early off the backhand. The serve advantage will be huge here and while Korda is not doing as well as this time last year, the issues won’t start here yet.
Prediction: Korda in 3
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Luca Van Assche vs James Duckworth
Jim: James Duckworth will leave nothing out there, but the Australian is probably not at Luca Van Assche’s level at this point in his career. The Frenchman will need to be wary of Duckworth’s forehand, which still packs a punch, but ultimately shouldn’t have too much difficulty booking his place in the second round.
Prediction: Van Assche in 3
Yesh: I once had very high hopes for James Duckworth. But he’s never quite lived up to them. Van Assche, meanwhile, is a rising star, and he should start showing the world why soon.
Prediction: Van Assche in 3
Damian: Duckworth had a very solid season last year with six Challenger finals (two titles) and managed to earn his top 100 return. The Australian also made the Brisbane quarterfinals first week of the season and might actually be the slight favourite over Van Assche right now, given the young Frenchman’s struggles to transition to the main tour.
Prediction: Duckworth in 5
Main photo credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
