The Australian Open gets underway on Sunday, when an intriguing first-round matchup features Jerry Shang and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Alexander Zverev begins his title bid against wild card Lucas Pouille.
Jerry Shang vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina:
Shang and Davidovich Fokina will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers when they clash in round one of the Australian Open on Sunday. Both of their previous encounters have gone Davidovich Fokina’s way; 6-3, 7-5 at last season’s Miami Masters and 7-5, 6-3 a few weeks later on the red clay of Madrid.
The tide seems poised to turn in Melbourne. Shang is coming off a breakthrough 2024 campaign in which he climbed to No. 50 in the rankings. The Chinese left-hander’s fall swing featured his first ATP title in Chengdu and he kicked off this season by reaching the Hong Kong semifinals. Davidovich Fokina, on the other hand, is just 4-9 in his last 13 main-draw matches dating back to the Montreal Masters last summer. Neither man is reliable from a physical standpoint, but all things being equal the edge goes to a more in-form Shang.
Pick: Shang in 4
(WC) Lucas Pouille vs. (2) Alexander Zverev
Nobody has more pressure on him heading into the 2025 tennis season than Zverev–at least in the department of Grand Slams. The world No. 2 is without question the best active player to have never won a major. He has come close, of course. Zverev led Dominic Thiem two sets to love in the 2020 U.S. Open final and was two sets to one up on Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 French Open championship match.
The 27-year-old German will get his latest quest underway with a first-ever showdown against Pouille on Sunday night in Rod Laver Arena. Pouille is a former top-10 player, but all kinds of injuries have left him far from his 2018 peak. On the bright side for the 30-year-old Frenchman, he was healthy and played well in 2024. Pouille reached the final of his last three Challenger events, winning one. He also successfully qualified at Wimbledon and reached the third round. Unfortunately for the world No. 104, he got a terrible draw at Melbourne Park and a best-of-five situation certainly doesn’t help his chances.
Pick: Zverev in 3
here we go!