The final day of Australian Open first-round action gets underway at Melbourne Park on Tuesday with veteran Grigor Dimitrov taking on Tomas Machac and American Alex Michelsen battling Karen Khachanov.
Grigor Dimitrov vs. Tomas Machac
This is an unlucky first-round match for Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov. Tomas Machac just missed out on being seeded in Melbourne, but he is now ranked 24th in the world thanks to his tournament win in Adelaide last week. In short, he comes into this match with hot hands, while Dimitrov….doesn’t. Dimitrov won a single match in his warmup event and lost to Raphael Collignon in the Brisbane second round. The veteran isn’t going to have the opportunity to ease into the Australian Open; Machac is simply playing too well.
Look for Machac to add another win to his 1-0 head-to-head record over Dimitrov.
Cheryl pick: Machac in 4
Ricky pick: Dimitrov in 3
(15) Karen Khachanov vs. Alex Michelsen
Ironically, it was Alex Michelsen who sent Karen Khachanov packing from last year’s Australian Open. Khachanov is one of the quieter threats on the men’s tour. Somehow he has never been in the conversation as a likely champion, but he still frequently makes it to the business ends of tournaments — including at majors.
This could well be one of the best first-round matches on the docket in Melbourne. Khachanov didn’t have a great start to the season, losing in his opener to Michael Mmoh in Hong Kong. As such, an upset could be in the cards. Michelsen made the semis in Brisbane and he played well while doing so. Look for the American to advance.
Cheryl pick: Michelsen in 4
Ricky pick: Michelsen in 5
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Machac in 4, Michelsen in 4
Tough draw for Dtrov…Mahac in 3; and Michelson in a tough 4