ATP Australian Open qualification semifinals
Holmgren – Kovalik: 08.01.2025 01:30 CEST
H2H: first meeting
August Holmgren has won three of his last five matches. Last week in Noumea, Holmgren played in a Challenger tournament, losing in the second round against Lestienne in three sets. Here in Melbourne, Chet won his opening match against Jones in three tight sets after spending over three hours on the court. Holmgren even saved a match point in the deciding set.
Jozef Kovalik has won three of his last five matches. His last competitive match before the Australian Open was in Belgrade over two months ago, failing to qualify for the main draw tournament. Here in Melbourne, Jozef won his first qualifying match against Bernard Tomic in straight sets, as we had predicted. He was a better player from the start and offered no breakpoints. Kovalik spent most of the 2024 season playing at the Challenger Tour level. Last year in Melbourne, Kovalik lost in the first qualifying round against Bellucci in three tight sets.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Kovalik is the slight favorite in this matchup. We believe that Kovalik’s experience will be crucial in this match. He has already played many Grand Slam matches, so we believe that he will dominate tomorrow against the inexperienced Holmgren.
That being said, Kovalik winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Jozef Kovalik winning @1.75 @bet365
Fucsovics – Rocha: 08.01.2025 01:30 CEST
H2H: first meeting
Marton Fucsovics has won three of his last five matches. Last week in Noumea, Marton played a challenger tournament. He reached the quarterfinals, where he was upset by Bouzige in straight sets. In Melbourne, Fucsovics dominated the opening qualifying round against Roca Batalla, as we had predicted. Marton is currently ranked at 100 in the world. Last season was a somewhat disappointing season for him. Last year in Melbourne, Fucsovics entered the main draw without having to play in the qualifying tournament. He lost in the first main draw round against Dimitrov in four tight sets. Marton loves to play in Australia. His best result was reaching the fourth round twice and losing both times against Federer.
Henrique Rocha has won three of his last five matches. This is his first competitive tournament of the season. Here in Melbourne, Rocha defeated Squire in the opening round in straight sets. He lost his serve only once; other than that, Rocha served well throughout the match. Rocha spent most of last season playing on clay at the Challenger Tour level. Henrique is inexperienced at this level, so seeing how he adapts on the court will be interesting.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Fucsovics is the big favorite in this matchup, and we agree. Marton is a solid hard-court player, and he already had solid results here in Melbourne. We believe that his experience and playing style will prevail in this match. As we already mentioned, Rocha has no experience at the highest level.
That being said, Fucsovics winning in straight sets is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Marton Fucsovics winning 2-0 @1.80 @bet365
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
