Stefanos Tsitsipas continues his Australian Open bid against Aussie wild card Rinky Hijikata as the second round gets underway in Melbourne.
Stefanos Tsitsipas was one of the in-form players coming into Melbourne. The world No. 4 led his Greek team to the semifinals at the United Cup and won each of his matches there. He took on the in-form Quentin Halys in the first round, a match he closed out in straight sets. Tsitsipas is defending semifinal points at the Australian Open.
Rinky Hijikata is a 21-year-old Australian who made his Grand Slam debut at the 2022 U.S. Open against Rafael Nadal. He got attention when he took the first set from the Spaniard. Hijikata was awarded one of this tournament’s wild cards and took advantage of the opportunity with a grueling first-round win over German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann.
Unfortunately for Hijikata, he runs headlong into a red-hot Tsitsipas. The Australian Open has been Tsitsipas’ most consistent slam, with three semifinal showings in the last three years. The crowd will be behind Hijikata, but the No. 3 seed should have no trouble advancing.
Cheryl pick: Tsitsipas in 3
Ricky pick: Tsitsipas in 3
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