Australian Open R2 previews and predictions: Alcaraz vs. Sonego, Dimitrov vs. Kokkinakis

No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz and No. 13 Grigor Dimitrov will be back in Australian Open action on Thursday. They are set for respective second-round showdowns against Lorenzo Sonego and Aussie fan favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Lorenzo Sonego vs. (2) Carlos Alcaraz

Alcaraz and Sonego will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they clash in round two of the Australian Open on Thursday. Their only previous encounter came at the 2021 Cincinnati Masters, where Sonego prevailed 6-3, 7-6(6). Of course, the tide is obviously expected to turn in a big way three years later. Alcaraz is now a two-time Grand Slam champion and comes in at second in the rankings. The Spaniard kicked off his fortnight in routine fashion on Tuesday, beating Richard Gasquet 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-2.

Sonego was 1-3 this season before posting a very good 4-6, 7-6(8), 6-2, 7-6(4) win over Dan Evans on Tuesday. Although the 46th-ranked Italian wields plenty of firepower, he has never done much damage against top players aside from upsetting Novak Djokovic on the indoor hard courts of Vienna in 2020 and beating Dominic Thiem at the 2021 Rome Masters. This will probably be slightly more competitive than Alcaraz’s opening match, with one tiebreaker and perhaps Sonego keeping another set somewhat close.

Pick: Alcaraz in 3

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(13) Grigor Dimitrov vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis

What would the Australian Open be without a five-set marathon involving Kokkinakis? The 80th-ranked Aussie wasted no time delivering it, as his first-round match on Tuesday evening was a 7-6(1), 2-6, 6-7(4), 6-1, 7-6(10-8) thriller against Sebastian Ofner. It was a much-needed win for Kokkinakis after losing in straight sets to Rinky Hijikita and Dusan Lajovic in the Brisbane and Adelaide opening rounds, respectively.

It does not get any easier in the form of a first-ever showdown against Dimitrov on Thursday. Dimitrov ended 2023 on fire and is showing no signs of slowing down in 2024. The 13th-ranked Bulgarian lifted the trophy in Brisbane and improved to 6-0 this year with a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(1), 6-2 defeat of Marton Fucsovics on Tuesday. This could be a similar result, with Kokkinakis giving the fans some early inspiration before Dimitrov likely pulls away.

Pick: Dimitrov in 4

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