Auckland runner-up Benoit Paire faces an intriguing second-rounder at the Australian Open on Wednesday. Hubert Hurkacz and John Millman are also part of a jam-packed schedule.
(21) Benoit Paire vs. Marin Cilic
Paire and Cilic will be squaring off for the sixth time in their careers when they clash in round two of the Australian Open on Wednesday. Cilic leads the head-to-head series 4-1, but they have not faced each other since 2018 and have not met on an outdoor hard court since 2016.
The former Australian Open runner-up and 2014 U.S. Open winner completely overpowered Corentin Moutet in round one, but he won’t be able to do the same against a fellow big hitter. Paire has been outstanding so far in 2020 with a 7-2 record, and both of his losses have come in final-set tiebreakers. The in-form Frenchman survived in five on Tuesday (d. Cedrik-Marcel Stebe) and it would be no surprise if he is up to those usual tricks once again against the 39th-ranked Croat.
Pick: Paire in 5
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(31) Hubert Hurkacz vs. John Millman
Tuesday was a great day for the Australian contingent and Millman was a big part of it, scoring a 7-6(3), 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 victory over Auckland champion Ugo Humbert. It has been a stellar start to the season for the world No. 47, who went 2-0 at the ATP Cup before reaching the Auckland quarterfinals.
Few players, however, are as hot as Hurkacz. The 31st-ranked Pole compiled a 3-0 record at the ATP Cup, defeating Diego Schwartzman, Borna Coric, and Dominic Thiem. He won three more matches in Auckland before falling to Paire in the semis and then recovered from a two-set deficit to beat Dennis Novak on Tuesday. With a new lease on life in Melbourne, Hurkacz should eventually be able to hit Millman off the court.
Pick: Hurkacz in 4
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Paire in 4…Hercules in 3…and how about a shout to The Big Dawg, John Isner🎾💪