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Diego Schwartzman will take on Oleksii Krutykh in the second round of the Australian Open on Tuesday (January 17).
Schwartzmann is seeded 23rd at the Australian Open and ranked 25th in the ATP rankings. This will be his ninth appearance at the Australian Open, where his best performance is two (2020 and 2018) fourth-round appearances. The right-hander, renowned for his competitive spirit, reached a career-best ranking of 8 in 2020 and played the ATP World Tour Finals that year.
Meanwhile, Krutykh, a 22-year-old Ukrainian player, is ranked 188th in the world after turning pro in 2018. The start to the year has been great for the youngster, winning four of his last five matches on hard courts.
However, he faces a massive task on his Grand Slam debut against a seasoned campaigner like Schwartzman, who has been consistent in the initial rounds of Majors.
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Diego Schwartzman vs Oleksii Krutykh: Betting Odds
Schwartzman is a four-time singles winner. The claycourt specialist has won three of his four titles on the red dirt, including one 250 and 500 ATP titles. His third 250 ATP title came on a hardcourt. Meanwhile, Krutykh will look to knock out the seeded player on his Major debut.
Diego Schwartzman vs Oleksii Krutykh: Match Details
Fixture: Diego Schwartzman @ Oleksii Krutykh
Date & Time: Monday, January 16; 07:00 pm ET
Venue: Court 17, Melbourne Park
Diego Schwartzman vs Oleksii Krutykh: Prediction
The two players have never played against each other before, so this is their first meeting. Schwartzman comes in with a lot of experience, while the youngster has just started out. However, the 30-year-old Argentine hasn't had a lot of practice coming into the tournament, playing only one match in 2023 and losing it.
Final Prediction: Diego Schwartzman -4.5 (-110)
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