Australian Open Day 3 expert picks, including Monfils vs. Fritz and Bautista Agut vs. Millman

Steen: Monfils slam matches are usually very entertaining and this one likely won’t be any different. Fritz got revenge on his Auckland loss to Norrie in the previous round and played well enough to suggest he can challenge the Frenchman, who is nowhere near his best these days. I expect this match to turn into an intense battle with Monfils nipping it in the end. Monfils in 5: 6-4, 4-6, 6-7, 7-5, 6-2.

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(22) Roberto Bautista Agut vs. John Millman

Ricky: The match of the day on Monday–by far–was Bautista Agut vs. Andy Murray, as the Spaniard held off the soon-to-be-retired Scot in five sets. Another fun one should be in the cards, as these two grinders wield similar styles and both are in stellar form right now (Bautista Agut won the Doha title, while Millman is 4-2 this season following a defeat of Federico Delbonis). The 22nd seed is 3-0 at the ATP level in the head-to-head series, but Millman has taken a set on two occasions. Bautista Agut in 5: 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.

Steen: Bautista Agut will face a hostile crowd for his second straight match. He’s better than the battler Millman in what should be a classic baseline battle between two similar players. That being said, Millman should be able to push him hard. RBA handled the pressure well against Murray and I expect him to do so again. Bautista Agut in 5: 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.

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(5) Kevin Anderson vs. Frances Tiafoe

Ricky: Anderson and Tiafoe will also be squaring off for the fourth time and–unsurprisingly–it is the South Africa who is sporting a clean 3-0 head-to-head record. On the bright side for Tiafoe, all three have been competitive and twice he snagged one set. Unfortunately for the American, he has never done much at slams; Anderson, on the other hand, has reached two of the last five major finals. Anderson in 3: 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.

Steen: Both players have strong enough serves to suggest tiebreaks are likely. Anderson’s form and experience have him well-suited to beat the young American and perhaps make a run at his first-ever slam title. Anderson in 3: 7-6, 7-5, 7-6.

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(6) Marin Cilic vs. Mackenzie McDonald

Ricky: These two should have faced each other at Wimbledon in 2017, but Cilic suffered perhaps the most improbable loss of the entire ATP season to Guido Pella in round two. McDonald capitalized by beating Pella two days later for a shocking berth in the fourth round. Cilic, the 2018 Aussie Open runner-up, probably won’t be so generous this time around. But the Croat often struggles to close out matches in routine fashion–especially against grinders like McDonald who get tons of balls back. Cilic in 4: 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

Steen: Cilic’s round-one win over Tomic was routine and although McDonald is coming into his own and will have a breakthrough soon, I don’t see it happening in this match. Cilic in 3: 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.

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