The first round matches of the 2020 Australian Open begin at Melbourne Park on Monday, January 20th. Get the latest Borna Coric v Sam Querrey & Jo-Wilfried Tsonga v Alexei Popyrin tips, previews and live streams below among other matches.
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Borna Coric v Sam Querrey Predictions & Preview
The first round opener between Borna Coric and Sam Querrey is the second match between both players on the tour. Their only meeting was at the French Open, in 2015 which Coric won in four sets.
Croat Coric had a break through 2018 where he moved up to just outside the top 10 in the ATP rankings, won the ATP 500 at Halle, defeated Roger Federer twice in the season, and qualified for his first ATP Masters 1000 final in Shanghai.
Coming into 2019 with plenty of promise, it was not the best of years for Coric. Marred by injuries and poor form, it was a bleak season for the Croat who missed Wimbledon and pulled out of the US Open after an injury before his second round encounter.
2020 got off to a good start for Coric defeating Dominic Thiem in his ATP Cup opener, but that was followed by straight set losses to Hubert Hurkacz and Diego Schwartzman.
Coric will be looking to get his form and confidence back on track with a good performance at the Australian Open and no better way than a convincing win in his opener, against big serving American Sam Querrey.
Querrey was a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2017 and was knocking on the doors of the top in the ATP rankings by the end of that year. However, the last two seasons have been dismal for the American who has not been a force to reckon with on the tour at all.
The American won the Hawaiian exhibition tournament at the end of last month but followed it with another unimpressive showing at the Adelaide International 2020 this past week.
A clash between two players with contrasting playing styles looking to get their year off to a strong start; expect the younger Coric to prevail in a four-setter.
Tip: Coric to win in four sets: 7/2 (Click here to get these odds with Unibet)
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Jo-Wilfried Tsonga v Alexei Popyrin Predictions & Preview
2008 Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga begins his Australian Open campaign against Aussie Alexi Popyrin.
After missing most of 2018 due to a knee inury, Tsonga made a strong return to the tour last season. He was two ATP 250 titles on the faster indoor courts and in turn moved up to the top 30 in the rankings.
2019 was a break-out year for 20-year-old Australian Alexei Popyrin as he made the top 100 in the ATP rankings for the first time. The Aussie defeated Mischa Zverev and Dominic Thiem in the opening two rounds of the Australian Open 2019 and lost a tight five setter to Frenchman Lucas Pouille.
Consistent performances saw him ranked within the top 90 at the end of 2019, and he will be looking to better that with improved form and results in 2019.
An exciting match ahead where the youth of Popyrin will claim a set, but the experience of Tsonga should close the match in four sets.
Tip: Tsonga to win in four sets: 3/1 (Click here to get these odds with Unibet)
Guido Pella v John-Patrick Smith Predictions & Preview
Guido Pella of Argentina plays little known John-Patrick Smith of Australia in the first round of the Australian Open, in what will be the first meeting between these two players on tour.
2019 was the best year of Pella’s career where he moved up to number 20 in the world. He won his maiden title in Rio and was a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon, defeating Kevin Anderson and Milos Raonic en route.
2020 has not got off to the best of starts for Pella with him losing three out of his four singles matches at the ATP Cup and he will look to set the record straight sooner rather than later.
30-year-old Aussie John-Patrick Smith has been on the tour for a while but mostly competed on the ATP Challenger tour, and is not a regular at the majors.
Expect a straight sets win by Pella to start his Australian Open campaign
Tip: Pella to win in three sets : 1/6 (Click here to get these odds with Unibet)
Benoit Paire v Cedric-Marcel Stebe Predictions & Preview
ASB Auckland runner-up Benoit Paire plays German Cedrik-Marcel Stebe in the first round of the Australian Open. This is the first meeting between both players.
French veteran was ranked in the top twenty in the ATP rankings in 2016 but indifferent form and inconsistent temperament saw him drop out of the top 50 in the world.
Paire had a strong 2019, moving back into the top 25 in the world winning two ATP 250 titles during the year. The Frenchman continued his form into 2020 with a strong showing at the Auckland ATP 250 before succumbing in a three setter in the final to Next Gen compatriot Ugo Humbert, who in turn won his first ATP title.
German Cedric- Marcel Stebe has been on the tour since 2012 and was ranked in the top 70 in the world. A major hip injury in 2015 set his career back and despite returning to the tour after close to two years, the German did not meet with much success.
Stebe was a finalist at the Swiss Open 2019 where he lost to Albert Ramos-Vinalos and furthered his match practice by being a regular on the Challenger tour.
Although Stebe has gained match practice in recent times since his return to the tour, he is up against an in-form veteran in Paire. Expect Paire to qualify for the second round of the Australian Open without much trouble here. Paire to win in straight sets.
Tip: Paire to win in three sets: 6/4 (Click here to get these odds with Unibet)