Three selections from Graham Ruthven, on day four of the Australian Open.
Taylor Fritz v Kevin Anderson
Thursday January 23, Australian Open men’s singles second round
Taylor Fritz moved into the second round of this year’s Australian Open with a very tidy straight sets victory over Tallon Griekspoor. Of course, the American was expected to win that match given his ranking and form, but this second round match-up represents a significant step up for the 22-year-old.
Kevin Anderson isn’t the player he was two or three years ago when he regularly made the latter rounds of Grand Slams, but the South African remains a dangerous opponent. Fritz likes facing tall players, though, and Anderson is still finding his feet after a lengthy lay-off through. That rust was evident in his first round match, where he was taken to five sets.
1pt - Taylor Fritz To Win @ 11/10
Belinda Bencic v Jelena Ostapenko
Thursday January 23, Australian Open women’s singles second round
As the number six seed, Belinda Bencic is hoping to challenge for this year’s Australian Open title. The Swiss started her campaign impressively with a straight sets victory over Anna Karolina Schmeidlova in the first round. However, Jelena Ostapenko is a Grand Slam champion, winning at Roland Garros back in 2017. The Latvian might have dropped down the rankings over the past year or so, but she makes for a dangerous opponent.
Indeed, Ostapenko finished 2019 well, winning a title in Luxembourg, and has carried that into 2020, beating Ludmilla Samsonova in straight sets in round one on Tuesday. She won 80% of her first serve points in that match, serving 11 aces and not dropping serve once. Bencic might be the higher ranked of the two players, but Ostapenko will fancy her chances here.
0.5pts - Back Jelena Ostapenko To Win 6/4
Andreas Seppi v Stan Wawrinka
Thursday January 23, Australian Open men’s singles second round
For all that Stan Wawrinka has achieved in the sport, moving through the early rounds of Grand Slams has never been his greatest strength. The Swiss needed four sets to get past Damir Dzumhur in the first round, relying on his serve to get him out of some sticky situation as his hitting from the baseline verged on wild at times.
At nearly 36, Andreas Seppi is no spring chicken himself, but comes into this second round tie after a much more routine opening match, beating Miomir Kecmanovic in straight sets. The Italian played with good depth and was very clean in what he did. Seppi has a good record against higher calibre opponents at the Grand Slams and so this match might be one to watch for drama.
0.75pts Back Over 36.5 Games 10/11
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