2026 Australian Open Men's & Women's Round Two - Day 1

Men’s Singles :

Alcaraz vs Hanfmann :

Pretty solid performance from Walton despite it being a straight set loss. Only the 2nd set was close, but Alcaraz’s slightly boosted serve ability should let him escape these spots a little easier this season. Next up is Hanfmann, who shook off a horrific patch of play and defeated qualifier Zach Svajda. I haven’t seen Yannick hit the ball that clean in a few months, and the pace on his shots was able to keep Svajda from dictating. Zach played a good match, but he was always rushed and had a hard time redirecting the ball. Hanfmann’s serve became a big factor as he was able to rush through a handful of service games.

Alcaraz matches are pretty simple predictions so I’ll keep it simple. Hanfmann’s serve and power has allowed him to play some good quality matches against top tier players (notably against Nadal), but his mobility and his backhand are always going to keep him from being a significant threat in those matches, especially in a 3/5 format. Alcaraz in 3.

Zheng vs Moutet :

Zheng wins the performance of the first round for me. There was a changing of the guard feel to some of the upsets in the first round, but there is also a visible difference in the attention span and hunger in certain matchups. Korda played well in patches, definitely stepped it up after he lost the first set, but his desire to rush to the average ball or to create the best shot possible on rally balls just didn’t match Zheng. Zheng didn’t do anything world-breaking or out of the ordinary, but he asked the question on every single rally. He doesn’t have the ability to thump aces that Korda does, but he located his serve well and started the point by getting Korda moving. He played stingy defense, made Korda play the extra ball, and when he had control he hit to the open court. The best thing about this is that he didn’t try to redline or change his game, he just played as best as he could and was willing to see what happened.

For a while the top guard on tour were so unbeatable that players imploded against them trying to reinvent their games in a single match. While I agree with the logic after a try or two, age and injury don’t always manifest as physical maladies. Sometimes it’s just about focus and being more starving for every last crumb than your opponent. It was evident today in the Griekspoor match that while Tallon wants to play, he’s just not as focused on the minutia as Quinn was. My point is, since Zheng and some of these others have been grinding their way up and focused on improving, they are playing each shot with more intent and care than some of the guys who are arguably still better than them. For Zheng, it was the biggest match of his career. For Korda, it was a slow start to the season in his 8th year on tour.

Not only did Zheng earn his first win at a major, he also landed a possibly lucky spot in the draw. Moutet was clinical against Schoolkate, but the third set was a little peculiar. He was unable to jump to serve and was underhand serving for most of the second half of the set. He claimed to just be tired in press, but that is a glimmer of hope for Zheng. I think even if Moutet is okay, Zheng still matches up okay. He covers the court well, his backhand is pretty solid, and he serves hard enough to get balls to work with. Obviously, I’m working with the assumption that Moutet hits the wall first, so it isn’t concrete, but let’s say that Moutet wasn’t injured and was being honest about fatigue. If you’re getting tired in a three set match where you’re controlling things most of the time, then Zheng is a difficult problem to solve. If Moutet recovers fine and plays solid, I still think Zheng has the durability and type of game to allow Moutet to get frustrated. Moutet is a magician with time, but the creative players can often get undone by disciplined opponents. Zheng not engaging with the theatrics and just going about his business can frustrate Corentin and it allows for more blowups and to sway the crowd quickly in his favor. Zheng in 4. Moutet is the same type of incredible offense that Korda brings, and the only slight worry I have about Zheng competing is his relative inexperience in 3/5 format tennis. A 5 setter can bring some fatigue and a little emotional letdown, but he looked okay in the fifth against Korda.

Paul vs Tirante :

Tommy Paul is a chameleon. He can look absolutely disinterested in tennis and like he has a flight to catch, and then he can play a match like he did against Kovacevic. When he’s playing well, his timing and footwork allow him to take time away from his opponent, and that was at play here. He also exposed a bit of a leak in Kovacevic’s game, the American is very good but has a little bit of a tough time controlling his backhand returns on the serve. He’s made a lot of progress over the past season, so I think this will improve, but right now it’s a problem because every coach will be directing their players to focus there. It’s kind of funny on tour how you automatically get on-site job training for your weaknesses. Gauff is going to get tons of reps on her forehand for a few seasons, same as Zverev, and Kovacevic will see a lot of kick serves from the ad side.

Tommy should have a halfway simple time with Tirante, but it should be stressed how great his win was in the first round. Vukic is always beatable when he’s off his peak, but Tirante has been written off on hardcourt (by me at least) a handful of times and he really did everything right to start the season. He served well, and he kept pressure on. Vukic never really had a chance to get comfortable in the match. I don’t expect Tirante to lose as quickly as Kovacevic because his game is less about shotmaking and serving, and also because he played a great level. It’s very easy to point to who is the favorite to advance, but Paul will still have to do the work. For a guy whose level has varied wildly over the past season, it could get tricky. Paul in 4.

Opelka vs Davidovich Fokina :

Opelka was the final boss. Budkov Kjaer has just gone on a pretty wild streak on tour. Blockx, Blockx, Watanuki, McCabe, Herbert, then Opelka were his last opponents. If anyone deserves a break from returning serve, it’s my guy Budkov. Unfortunately, Opelka was too good. He played well a week ago from the baseline, and when Opelka is healthy enough to play decent baseline tennis, he becomes a really difficult out. This next match is probably the end for him if I had to guess, but ADF will need to be very focused and disciplined to win. Opelka is serving well enough right now that if he has the lead, you have lost the set. There are guys like Sinner and Djokovic who return so well that their opponent doesn’t matter, but here I think ADFs play in tiebreakers will matter, especially early on. If he can get a lead, Opelka’s game wil likely falter.

Reilly is a wildly entertaining player to watch honestly, because the physics of his serve are unique, but his attitude on court can suffer, and he gets very impatient in rallies. This is where I think ADF’s style of play will help and create a little risk. Fokina is always quick to go for the next shot. He keeps his opponents moving and he moves forward liberally. This probably means that Opelka won’t have much hope in rallies, but it also can lead to quick errors. Opelka doesn’t have much rally tolerance at the pro level, but ADF should probably try to trap him into a handful of longer rallies early, especially when he’s up in the scoreline. It helps to take the legs out from your opponent, and to frustrate them a bit. If you can establish that they need to do a lot to escape a rally, they can get a bit locked into that tactic as the match goes on. ADF in 4. I don’t know if good Opelka really gets blanked, but Fokina played at a really good level in round one and he should be able to hold serve (oddly) equally as often as Opelka here.

Bublik vs Fucsovics :

Bublik has won the last couple meetings of these two, and comes into this even on a pretty solid win streak. He’s playing well, he’s in the best shape of his career, and he’s playing the best baseline tennis of his career. It’s a bad matchup for Fucsovics right now because he’s really just a defensive test at times and his backhand isn’t really an offensive weapon. Bublik in 3-4. Fucsovics’ speed may negate some of the dropshots and Bublik can sometimes get careless, but I don’t see Fucsovics holding serve that comfortably in this.

Etcheverry vs Fery :

Etchefery. Two good wins for two deserving players here. Etcheverry managed to not lose a single point on serve in the fifth set against Kecmanovic, and Fery played really solid against Cobolli in round one. Cobolli seemed to have a stomach illness, and it’s pretty clear there’s something going around at the event his week. A few players have had issues, and today Darderi ran to the handshake after the game and ran immediately off the court to the restroom. Even with the malady, I still liked Fery’s level. He was hitting his forehand deep with a lot of topspin, and he made cleaner contact throughout. Cobolli had a period where he started swinging for the fences and threatened to take over, but Fery didn’t really deviate from his game which is a good sign. Against Etcheverry, he’ll have to play a ton of tennis. It’s hard to say who wins this one. The Etcheverry style is big hitting and endurance. He’s not a servebot, but he can hit a big delivery. Fery probably will be fresh after a three set win but at some point the fatigue from having to go through qualifying will set in. For me, Fery’s style plays into Tomas’ game a little bit. Etcheverry wants to rally, and wants to wear his opponent down. Fery’s getting a lot of junk on the ball and playing well, but Cobolli was a little bit more impatient than I think Etcheverry will be. This should be close. I think Fery in 4 or Etcheverry in 5. Fery’s level is real high but he’s not the most durable athlete.

Tiafoe vs Comesana :

If you haven’t read Ben Rothenberg’s recent interview with Tiafoe, I recommend it. Tiafoe has done a solid reset after a few rough seasons; he’s back in shape (even though he always was), and he seems focused again. He made really clean contact against Kubler and seemed like a random crashout was not on the table for this event. I like it. It’s just in time honestly because Comesana is a really tricky opponent here. He serves better than his height would suggest, and he always steps it up in big match situations. He has the defensive speed and agility to deal with Tiafoe’s game, and if Tiafoe were off, I would like him here. Tiafoe is not off though. A regression is always possible, but it’s much less possible when you’ve done the work. The key here I think is the serving. Tiafoe has a big delivery and a decent kick serve for his second. The kick is especially useful against a smaller opponent. Tiafoe’s forehand is also a bit bigger than Comesana, and he can match him in the speed department. Still, I don’t think there is a quick path past Francisco. Tiafoe in 4.

Medjedovic vs De Minaur :

The question last round was can Medjedovic win before he gets tired. He just made it. The question this round is how long he can maintain the power necessary to keep from having to run. Hamad is a professional tennis player and his stamina and fitness are excellent, but he has had more fatigue and injury issues than most players on tour. He has huge power and deft touch, and usually will force his opponent to supply their own pace and then redirect with a big drive. It’s great to watch him play well and his serve is big enough to hang on here, but I think Alex’s commitment to making his opponents work is going to be a problem here. The match is scheduled for the evening session so the sun won’t be as rough, but I think it’s likely that De Minaur is able to defend and extend rallies long enough to take the edge of Medjedovic’s power, and from tehre he should win. De Minaur in 4.

Zverev vs Muller :

Zverev had a rough first set, but Diallo is pretty unplayable when he’s on. He has a big serve, and really sharp offensive skill. Once his level dipped, he never got control again. Zverev serve really well, and at the second tier that makes him a huge favorite because he’s already so conservative and stable from the baseline. I would expect him to continue serving well here, and the only real hope for Muller is to drag things out and get to the overtime section of sets. Zverev can already retire as a success; his career has been excellent, yet any pressure moment seems to make him scared to miss. It’s mental, and it’s been a theme for a while. That’s a small leak though. Muller had a great comeback win against Popyrin, but Zverev is a huge step up in terms of rally tolerance and service consistency. Zverev in 3-4.

Nava vs Norrie :

Not really sure about this one. My gut says that Nava makes too many unforced errors, and that Norrie’s particular style is going to give him a lot of trouble. At the same time, Nava and Jacquet served really well even late into the match, and Norrie isn’t the best returner. 5 sets with Bonzi isn’t bad, but Bonzi hasn’t been the most active or successful player recently. A year ago, Norrie’s comeback was still fresh and I didn’t feel he had expectations, but this is the sort of match that he really should be winning now. For Nava, he needs to iron out his forehand for this one. He had the open court 10-15 times against Jacquet in the 5th and hit the ball out. If he had landed 1-2 extra he’d have won by multiple breaks. That’s going to cost you against Norrie because his entire game is built around trying to frustrate opponents into errors. Maybe there’s more changing of the guard to come, but I think Norrie will be a very tough out here. Norrie in 4. Nava has the power and reminds me a young Fritz, but he’s not as solid from the baseline as Bonzi so I don’t know if he’ll have the same success.

Cerundolo vs Dzumhur :

Cerundolo really is a villain. He hit the ball to Zhang, and Zhang hates that. “What if i returned the ball in the court twice?” asked Villundolo, to a tied up Batzhang. “You’ll never get away with this!” shouted Batzhang, and promptly hit the ball out. I understand that Zhang is just getting his groove back, but even when he was at the top of his game the unforced errors were still the reason he didn’t get more done on tour. He has a huge serve delivery but the percentages were low, and Cerundolo wa able to really punish him with dropshots. Dzumhur will not supply those points, but he’s not as dangerous. Damir is a great mover, and a creative player, but his serve isn’t much so he’ll be under pressure here. His best chance to win is to try to outlast Cerundolo, and it’s more of a mental marathon than a physical one. Cerundolo can get frustrated, and can try to bail out of rallies early. If he’s missing, he keeps going for it and can donate sets. I don’t really expect him to implode, but he will be asked the question here. Cerundolo in 4-5. Just a side note, Cerundolo can get frustrated but Dzumhur can absolutely rage out and talk to his box for 2-3 hours straight, so this might be entertaining for those who enjoy some toxicity.

Faria vs Rublev :

Weird turn of events with Blockx getting a lucky loser spot. I don’t think he’s totally healthy right now, so Faria got a nice boost. Faria has the physical strength to battle Rublev but the firepower that Andrey has should be too much. He played excellent in round one against Arnaldi and it’s been a few solid weeks. He lost to Musetti in Hong Kong but it was a good performance from him and he could have won. Here I think against Faria doesn’t have much in the way of pressure and he has a pretty strong forehand, but the backhand exchanges I think will favor Rublev a lot. Rublev in 3-4.

Medvedev vs Halys :

Medvedev seems motivated again and a straight sets win was impressive to me. Early on De Jong was clearly a little bit less able to score in baseline rallies, but he didn’t force anything. He kept hitting the court, and that patience did eventually pay dividends. He got to 5-5 in the first and he managed a tiebreaker in the third. It never looked like he was going to win, but I think digging in in those spots is where you make progress, and Daniil definitely gave him props for the solid play when they talked at net after the match. Next for Med is a really tricky match. Halys is one of the more skillful big men on tour. He’s a little slow, but his skill factors in here because he doesn’t have to bail out of rallies with Medvedev. He’ll be able to deal with some of the cat and mouse tactics, and his serving and forehand are big enough to notch some free points. I would not say that translates into being a threat to win, but I think the tennis will be very enjoyable and look more competitive than the ending scoreline. Medvedev in 3-4. Halys did beat Tabilo convincingly but I don’t think Tabilo is anywhere near his best level right now.

Majchrzak vs Maroszan :

I am impressed by the consistency of Maroszan’s calm ways. Serving, calm. Ball comes back, he hits a laser to the open court, calmly. Huge rally on a huge point? Dropshot, calmly executed. Even his fist pumps to his box are calm. But it doesn’t stop there. Break point for his opponent? Sends the ball out, calmly. Set point in a tiebreaker? Dropshot into the bottom of the net, calmly. Maroszan’s game is just really cool, but it’s very hit or miss. This season he’s been playing excellent, but this match is a tricky test. Kamil doesn’t really miss much, and his game is very coordinated. He hits the same handful of shots, and the entire thing is built around a very spinny forehand that can create short cross-court angles but mostly is hit inside out. Honestly, if this were 2-3 I would like Majrchrzak, but in a long match I worry he doesnt have the power and offense to score easily. Maroszan can calmly miss his way out of this match, but he’ll have a lot of time to reset if it’s happening.

I liked the way he played against Rinderknech, but Majchrzak is a way better mover and much stabler from the baseline. This should be close, and it’s weird to say a less consistent player wins a long match, but Maroszan in 4-5 is what I expect.

Tien vs Shevchenko :

Shevchenko made a nice comeback against Ymer, and he’s not nearly as well known or successful on tour as Tien, but this should be a fun match. Shevchenko is a grinder and he has heavy groundstrokes. It’s a match where I think everyone will expect Learner to win comfortably, but I don’t think Alex will give him the balls that are easy to work with. Tien managed to squeak by Giron with a nice comeback, so he probably advances here. It’s cool to see Shevchenko winning again on tour, but Tien has been operating at a higher level for a while.

Borges vs Thompson :

Borges is 6-0 in sets against Thompson, and Jordan is just working his way back into form. I think there’s a good chance the trend continues. I don’t put a lot of stock in the FAA win because Felix wasn’t 100% and had to withdraw, but Borges beat Etcheverry and Cilic recently, and that’s right around the level Thompson plays at. Thompson tends to outlast opponents and having an effective serve makes it tricky to grind with him, but I think Borges is comfortable with the height on Thompson’s forehand and since he lifts the ball cross-court well on his forehand I think he’s good with Thompson’s flat backhand down the line. The hometown crowd can get involved, but Borges is very calm out there so it’s hard to turn him into a villain. Borges in 4ges.

Women’s Singles :

Sabalenka vs Bai :

Sabalenka got off to a tough start in Melbourne, as Rakotomanga took her to overtime in the first set. From there, Sabalenka pulled away, and that is sort of the mark of the champions on the WTA side. When Swiatek was winning, she’d often drop sets or have a close one, but from there it just felt like she’d drained her opponent. Sabalenka is similar when she wins. You earn some errors and you make some inroads, but she just keeps driving the ball hard and it’s hard to maintain that level, especially when you’re only getting to play her once or twice a year. The next round for Sabalenka I think will be tricky. Bai is a very creative player, and moves the ball well. She’ll be outhit eventually, but playing Pavlyuchenkova last round is good prep for dealing with Sabalenka since she hits so big and serves powerfully. Sabalenka should win, but she won’t be given any free points so this is a good look at her baseline rally tolerance and her movement. Sabalenka in 2.

Potapova vs Raducanu :

Good start for Raducanu winning in straight sets. She has the easier matchup I think from her options. Potapova hits the ball big but she plays a very singular game. Lamens is a little more consistent and tends to play the opponent well. If she’s struggling she’ll ratchet up the pace, if her opponent struggles she’ll lock in and not miss. Raducanu’s strength (to me at least) is her ability to trade cross-court in neutral rallies. Her technique on her backhand and forehand are excellent, and this is important because Potapova hits the ball hard. If you start coughing up slow balls or sitters, Potapova wins. She has big power and she’s hard to read. Raducanu predictions are tough because her level can drop quickly and she plays injured quite often, but this is a match where I expect her to be at a slightly more stable level throughout. Raducanu in 3.

Mboko vs McNally :

Very good play from Emerson Jones last round. I had said that she’s a little out of her weight class right now, but she dug in more in that match than she has so far in losses. It’s that effort that will level her up quickly. For now, Mboko is a problem for her, but Mboko is a problem for everyone. She has great speed and defense which is a huge factor in big matches at big tournaments, and she also has great power. When she trades forehands, the added weight and spin that she can put on the ball really works, and her backhand slides through the court well and has a lot of variation on it. 

This round will probably be worth the ticket. McNally is a great player and consistency and long rallies are a guarantee. She had a great 2025 after coming back from surgery and that makes her ceiling a little undefined here, because prior to her injury she had some close matches with pretty high level competition. The big edge here for me is Mboko’s serve and power. She’ll get a few more free points and that should make the difference. Slight worry because of Mboko’s deep run last week. A lot of last week’s heros are crashing out or struggling and she has some very heavy taping and structure on her leg. Mboko in 2-3.

Kudermetova vs Tauson :

Tauson has finally gotten her 2026 going with a solid win against Galfi. It sets up a winnable match against Polona Kudermetova, who finally ended Maristany’s excellent run. If they played this match 10 times in these conditions, I do think Polona wins 2-3 of them. Tauson is not at her best yet and the heat has been an issue for her in the past. Right now, I think it could go to a third because Kudermetova has a decent enough serving game to make her baselining worth a set if Tauson’s level ever drops. Tauson in 3.

Sonmez vs Bondar :

Sonmez had one of the best matches of the first round against Alexandrova. She was down 5-2 in the first and won 5 games in a row. In the third, she was down 3-0 and held her opponent to just one more game from there. It was really solid hitting and better serving than usual from her. Sonmez has a bunch of crowd support here and just seemed to be more focused than Alexandrova, who lamented errors and looked often to her box. The run can continue here but it will be tough. On paper, Bondar should be an easier out than Alexandrova, but she’s been playing solid ball to start the year and form does trump name at times. Bondar has a great serve, and tons of power. I do think Sonmez will be a little more consistent here, and slightly more capable on defense. She also won their previous meeting a year ago, so Sonmez in 2-3 is my guess. It really feels like she’ll be able to wear Bondar down eventually, but there will be a lot of duece games in this one.

Putintseva vs Jacquemot :

I wonder who will yell at their box more. Putintseva managed to outlast Haddad Maia, and she is a small favorite here due to her consistency. Jacquemot pulled a huge upset in round one against Kostyuk, but the match was chaotic and the level varied at times. She played well, Kostyuk played kinda rough, and in the end Kostyuk rolled her ankle and was forced to finish the match in pretty rough shape. Multiple times during the match Jacquemot told her coach to leave the box, and they got yelled at after every fault and every error. It makes me think that against a very consistent player like Putintseva, she’s going to wind up in a poor headspace and not allow Putintseva to get in her own poor headspace. Jacquemot has a much better serve and more power, but it feels like she is the less reliable side here, and Kostyuk’s losses tend to have a lot to do with Kostyuk errors. Putintseva in 3.

Jovic vs Hon :

A lot of last week’s winners have crashed out, but Jovic is still playing excellent. She dismissed Volynets, and I think she can win this one in similar fashion. Stakusic forfeited late in her match against Hon (at 5-3 in the third), but before that there was a lot of high level offense. I don’t think Priscilla really defends well enough to deal with Jovic’s onslaught. Iva is really hitting her backhand for great effect and it’ll take something very special to slow her down. Jovic in 2.

Frech vs Paolini :

This should be good. Frech played as well as the books thought against Erjavec. Very solid, never gave her opponent a chance. Now she faces Paolini at a time where Jasmine has just started to show signs of life. She defended very well against Sasnovich, and I think it gives her an edge here. Frech is mostly a baseliner and I don’t see a great way for her to score given Paolini’s speed and retrieval skills. Paolini in 2-3. She’s not at her best yet but her 2nd gear of playing stingy defense is probably the right move here.

Gauff vs Danilovic :

Gauff played well against Rakhimova. It’s a sigh of relief when she plays her game, and it’s great for the tournament to have her finding form. Next is a decent matchup against Danilovic. Olga almost lost to Venus Williams, but won five games in a row to take the match. I think her power is enough to score on Gauff to the forehand side, but Gauff’s backhand is a wall. The court will start to feel small to Danilovic, and she hasn’t been at a level yet this season that would suggest the upset. Gauff in 2.

Hunter vs Baptiste :

This one I’m not sure. Obviously I get some wrong every wrong, but this is a strange meeting. Hunter has been an underdog every single round, but she’s played really sharp and moved the ball well. Her forehand is causing major problems and her backhand timing is good. It’s a peak for a player off tour. Baptiste has been struggling a little and while she won, there were a lot of errors. Hunter already beat Townsend convincingly so law of syllogism is in her favor, but Baptiste got to play a lefty which means she’s somewhat prepared for what’s to come. What I did like from Baptiste was the pace she put on the ball. Every time she got a full swing early in the match she caused a Townsend error. This slowed down after a while but her power is legit and it could cause some problems here. I think Baptiste’s athleticism also will let her defend a little better (or a lot better) than Townsend did against Storm. I’m expecting a third set, and Baptiste to win it. Bouzas Maneiro was up breaks in both sets against Hunter and fumbled, and I think Baptiste has more offense to close out in those moments.

Muchova vs Parks :

Muchova and Cristian played a really high quality match. Cristian remains competitive in every single loss to every single top player, it really is impressive. Parks summoned some competitive spirit also, and dealt with a strong crowd supporting Eala and with her own 6-0 demise in the first set. Fighting back after that was impressive, but this was one of a handful of matches that made me think last week’s events were not great to succeed in. A lot of the players coming off a long week are expecting other players to be tense. It feels like they’re swinging big and making all the right sounds, but their shots are a bit predictable and not really getting deep in the court. They’re looking for their opponent to make errors, but aren’t really applying much pressure. Eala put a lot of balls back, but there wasn’t a real reason for Parks to miss as the match dragged on because she was inside the baseline with time. Eala’s court position got deeper and deeper, and her shot selection got safer and safer.

There is a lot of pressure later in an event, or when you’re tired, but in a first round the opponent is basically looking to play aggressive and to have time and control, so it’s a rough spot. Mensik had this issue against PCB, Baez had it a bit, Eala had it, Kostyuk was a good example, and there were a few others. It has to be tough mentally to reset to the first round sprint mentality after a deep run. For now, I think Muchova beats Parks comfortably. Parks can serve really well at times and has the game to be a top player, but defensively I do not think she has the rally tolerance to play Muchova. Karolina has a lot of power and variety, and at least as much defensive presence as Eala (likely more so due to the quality of her shot selection). Muchova in 2.

Li vs Linette :

Li won a very close one with Osorio and this should be more of the same. Linette made a nice comeback against Navarro, and after a rough start to the season she’s basically righted the ship. If Osorio is getting to a third, Linette should also. Their previous meeting saw Li win in three, and I guess that’s possible again. She’s error prone, but has the bigger game. I could see her dropping one set due to a rough service game, but I guess she could win? Idk. I think I like Linette, but I have a blind spot with Ann because she used to be so good early in her career and has sort of reinvented the wheel several times. Her patches of good play see her win a lot, but it never feels totally comfortable. I guess tennis is tough.

Svitolina vs Klimovicova :

Klimovica is playing great ball, but it might not matter. Svitolina is playing excellent, and it will take a huge offensive onslaught or a 2-3 hour grind from the baseline to beat her. Svitolina in 2.

Shnaider vs Gibson :

Same story here. Gibson had a great win against Blinkova, but Shnaider is consistent right now and is hitting the ball huge and clean. The comeback win against Krejcikova is exactly what she needed to get comfortable in this event, and I think we’re in for another deep run. Shnaider in 2.

Ruse vs Tomljanovic :

As advertised, Ruse is a matchup problem for Yastremska. It resulted in a much needed first round win at the Australian Open, and a winnable matchup in the second. Tomljanovic grinded past Starodubtseva despite being down a set and a break, and she should be even in this matchup. She’s had some injury issues, but her power is a factor. Ruse had the higher quality win on paper, but I think that was a stylistic thing. Tomljanovic is a bit more consistent than Yastremska, so I could see this going to a third. Since Ruse hasn’t been a consistent performer on tour, and Ajla is still working her way back to form, it’s really difficult to point to a winner. I’d take Ruse, but the home crowd and Ajla’s power will make me hate that pick. Ruse in 3.

Andreeva vs Sakkari :

Sakkari was down an early 3-0 to Jeanjean, but managed to get herself together and advance. There is no reward here, as Andreeva is in her best form right now. She won a title last week, and while that is an issue for some, the scorelines from her matches will tell you she isn’t fatigued. Sakkari will have to serve well this match to avoid a straight set loss. Andreeva is too accurate and too consistent, and the Vekic match saw her navigate a very powerful offense and still win. Maria should be able to play at this level, but for a long time rally ball errors and rough shot selection in big moments have cost her. Andreeva in 2.