The Australian Open second round of men’s singles finishes on Day 5. 16 matches are on the slate as players look to move into Round 3. Which players have the advantage on Day 5? 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 Holger Rune vs Arthur Cazaux, Carlos Alcaraz vs Lorenzo Sonego, and Daniil Medvedev vs Emil Ruusuvuori. Predicting these matches are Jack Edward, Damian Kust, and Jordan Reynolds.
Australian Open Day 5 Men’s Predictions
Casper Ruud vs Max Purcell
Head-to-Head: Ruud 1-1 Purcell
Jack:
Casper Ruud has laid 2023 to rest with aplomb. The year had some lows but he’s put all of that behind him by winning nine sets on the bounce. Purcell has holes in his game that the Norwegian should be able to exploit so I’m expecting something fairly routine.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Damian:
Purcell beat Ruud in Cincinnati last year and with his slice-heavy disruptor playstyle, matchups tend to matter a great deal. The Norwegian likely won’t get to feel too comfortable on the court, but let’s say he takes it this time when he gets more time to unpack Purcell’s game in the longer format.
Prediction: Ruud in 5
Jordan:
This is an interesting clash of styles. Ruud is the more complete player by a distance. However. Purcell regularly serves and volleys, which could be a helpful play to have on second serve especially, since Ruud stands a long way back. Ultimately, Ruud should have too much class for the Australian, but this is a contest to watch out for.
Prediction: Ruud in 4
Grigor Dimitrov vs Thanasi Kokkinakis
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Jack:
Dimitrov isn’t afraid to outlast his opponents. He’s confident in his physicality and tactics and won’t take any chances against Kokkinakis. The Aussie will have his moments but Dimitrov is looking seriously strong in Melbourne.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 4
Damian:
Dimitrov pushed through a tough opener against Fucsovics and faces another player known for his knack for upsets. Kokkinakis doesn’t seem to be playing with too much confidence at the moment. He could always fire up with the Aussie crowd, but anything less than a peak performance will be capitalized on by Dimitrov.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 3
Jordan:
Some have wondered whether Dimitrov is a dark horse this year after his huge improvement in the last 12 months. This is a great test of those credentials. Playing the talented Kokkinakis in front of a loud home crowd will test the Bulgarian’s resilience, and would be a match where I’d be worried about him in the past. But I think he is so much stronger now, and will prove it here.
Prediction: Dimitrov in 4
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs Nuno Borges
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Jack:
Neither player is the most accomplished on hard courts but Borges is yet to make a dent against a top 50 player suited to the surface. Contrastingly, Davidovich Fokina has shown he does have ways of hurting top ranked opponents on the surface.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 4
Damian:
This seems relatively straightforward. Borges can’t quite make it as tour-level player and still hasn’t reached a single ATP Tour quarterfinal. He’s coming off a solid display in round one but Davidovich Fokina is a step up and has such a varied game.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 3
Jordan:
Davidovich Fokina is someone who could slip under the radar and put together a good run in Melbourne. He is tough to stop when he finds his range, and the fast conditions this year will only add to that. Borges played well in round one, but near his best, the Spaniard will prevail.
Prediction: Davidovich Fokina in 3
Alexander Zverev vs Lukas Klein
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Jack:
The usual struggles in early rounds will probably see Zverev drop a set to Klein. The German will most likely come through, however, given Klein doesn’t have anything to consistently hurt him.
Prediction: Zverev in 4
Damian:
Even an in-form Zverev usually takes a while in his early rounds and the messy encounter with Koepfer was no exception. It’s tough to see Klein compiling three sets of perfect attacking tennis to win here, but he’s playing excellent to start the year and has that imposing playstyle to take the racket away from Zverev’s hands for patches.
Prediction:Zverev in 4
Jordan:
Zverev was given a very good test by his compatriot Dominik Koepfer in the opening round. That should help the 2020 US Open shake off any rust that existed. Klein is a tricky competitor at his best, but I struggle to see how he disrupts Zverev enough to win.
Prediction: Zverev in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke – USA TODAY Sports
