Some of the top players will be in action for their first round matches at the 2020 Australian Open begins at Melbourne Park on Monday, January 20th. Get the latest Roberto Bautista Agut v Feliciano Lopez & Dusan Lajovic v Kyle Edmund tips, previews and live streams below among other matches.
- Get the best odds for the Australian Open 2020 with bet365 here.
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Roberto Bautista Agut v Feliciano Lopez Predictions & Preview
Spanish veterans Roberto Bautista Agut and Feliciano Lopez meet in the opening round of the 2020 Australian Open. This is the fifth meeting between them and the head-to-head is tied at 2-2.
All their meetings have been at the Masters 1000 level, with Agut winning on the clay courts of Monte Carlo and Madrid, and Lopez on the hard courts of Indian Wells & Canada.
Agut had the best season of his career in 2019. He defeated Novak Djokovic twice in the season, won the Qatar Open in Doha, was a Wimbledon semi-finalist and broke into the top 10 of the ATP rankings for the first time.
2020 has also got off to a strong start for Agut with a stellar performance in the ATP Cup representing Spain. The Spaniard won all his six singles matches without dropping a set and was instrumental in partnering Rafael Nadal and carrying Spain to the title encounter, where they lost to Serbia.
38-year-old Feliciano Lopez has been on the ATP circuit since 2002 and has been a consistent performer throughout his career. Once ranked as high as number 12 in the world, the four time Grand Slam quarter-finalist has a natural serve and volley game that is well suited to grass and the faster surfaces.
Winner of the singles and doubles titles at the Queens Club ATP 500 in 2019, it has been a mixed start to 2020 for Lopez. Along with Pablo Carreno Busta, he formed a doubles team that was instrumental in carrying Spain to the final of the tournament, but unfortunately lost to Serbia in the final encounter.
Lopez got his Auckland ATP 250 campaign off to a good start defeating Pablo Andujar and top seed Fabio Fognini on the same day, before losing to Next Gen Pole Hubert Hurkacz in a three setter.
A clash to look forward to between two Spaniards with varied playing styles; expect the in-form Agut to prevail in four sets.
Tip: Agut to win in four sets: 11/4 (Click here to get these odds with Unibet)
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Dusan Lajovic v Kyle Edmund Predictions & Preview
This is the third meeting between Serbian Dusa Lajovic and Britain’s Kyle Edmund. The pair have met twice with both having been won by Edmund. Their last meeting was on the hard courts of Beijing in 2018.
Since then, their careers have moved in opposite directions. Edmund ended 2018 ranked 15th in the world, and was then the British number one. But, 2019 was a year of injuries and several disappointing losses for the Briton, who saw himself fall out of the top 50 in the world rankings.
Currently ranked number 69 in the world, Edmund has been seeking to revive his career with a successful showing at the Davis Cup in November and making the quarter-finals this week in Auckland before succumbing to big serving American John Isner.
Serbian Dusan Lajovic had a strong 2019 where being a finalist to Fabio Fognini at the ATP Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo remains the highlight, among other consistent performances.
Lajovic carried his form into 2020 where he played a vital role in aiding Novak Djokovic and Serbia win the inaugural ATP Cup last week in Australia. Victories against Felix Auger- Aliassime and Karen Khachanov in straight sets in the knockout stages stand out as key performances by the Serb.
Having moved into the top 30 in ATP rankings, Lajovic will look to carry forward his form into the first major of the year. Expect the Serb to move into the second round with a four set win.
Tip: Lajovic to win in four sets: 9/2 (Click here to get these odds with Unibet)
Milos Raonic v Radu Albot Predictions & Preview
In a first ever career clash of nearly 30-year-olds, Canadian Milos Raonic and Moldovian Radu Albot meet in the opening round of the Australian Open.
Once ranked as high as number three in the world, big serving Canadian and 2016 Wimbledon finalist has had a disappointing last two seasons. Plagued with repeated injuries and loss of form, 2019 was not a year of much note for Raonic, aside from a semi-final showing at the Indian Wells Masters early in the year.
Ranked just within the top 30 in the world, 2020 was off to a slow start for Raonic, who lost to Next Gen Frenchman Corentin Moutet early in Doha, at the Qatar Open last week.
Winner of his country’s maiden ATP title at the Delray Beach Open in 2019, the last season saw some consistent performances by Moldovian Radu Albot. In addition, he also pushed Roger Federer to the brink at the Miami Masters 1000 opener, before bowing out in a decider.
2020 has got off to a suboptimal start for Albot, who lost all his singles matches in the group stages of the ATP Cup and did not look like getting into any sort of groove just yet.
A clash between two contrasting styles with the players looking to get their season off on the right track awaits us in this Australian Open first round encounter. Expect Raonic with his big serve and experience to come through on the faster Melbourne hard court in three tight sets.
Tip: Raonic to win in three sets : 11/10 (Click here to get these odds with Unibet)
Hubert Hurkacz v Denis Novak Predictions & Preview
In-form Pole Hubert Hurkacz plays Austrian qualifier Denis Novak in the first round of the Australian Open. This is the first meeting between both players.
After winning his maiden title on the hard courts of Winston Salem in 2019, Hurkacz was in very good form at the ATP Cup last week. The Pole registered victories against seasoned players, Dominic Thiem, Borna Coric and Diego Schwartzman, despite Team Poland not progressing past the opening group stages of the tournament.
Coming into the ASB Classic in Auckland this week as a strong favorite, Hurkacz was defeated in the semi-finals by maverick Frenchman Benoit Paire. The Pole is ready to launch his Australian campaign and will be looking for a good run, given the form he has been in.
Ranked number 99 in the world, Austria’s Denis Novak is a qualifier at the Australian Open. Novak looked in good touch at the ATP Cup defeating Guido Pella and running 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic close in a tight three setter.
Both players have been in form and this could make for an interesting match-up. However, the more established Hurkacz should be able to get through this first round clash without much trouble.
Expect a straight sets win for the Pole.
Tip: Hurkacz to win in straight sets: 11/8 (Click here to get these odds with Unibet)