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Stefanos Tsitsipas has qualified for the second round of the 2023 Australian Open and will now take on Rinky Hijikata at the Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday (January 18). He is coming off a straight-set win against Quentin Halys in Round 1, defeating the Frenchman 6-3, 6-4, 7-6.
Tsitsipas hit 17 aces during the course of the short match. His second-serve winning percentage made all the difference in the win, at 61, whereas Halys was at only 37. He made use of four out of seven possible break-point opportunities.
Both players were bad on double faults as they conceded six each. The Greek won a total of 102 points whereas the Frenchman managed to win a total of 83 points. He will now face the local boy, who has managed to qualify for the second round after defeating Yannick Hanfmann in a thrilling five-set encounter.
The 21-year-old Hijikata surprised everyone with a highlight performance, making a comeback and winning the match 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. The statistics are almost similar, which clearly shows how close the match was.
The Aussie managed to win a total of 175 points while the German managed to win a total of 168 points. The only difference in the match came in the final set, where Hijikata broke his serve and took the set with ease. He will now face one of the best players in the world in Round 2.
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Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Rinky Hijikata: Betting Odds
Tsitsipas is currently ranked No.4 in the ATP rankings and reached a career-high ranking no No.3 in 2021. This is his sixth appearance at the Australian Open and has been a semi-finalist three times already.
Hijikata is ranked 169 in the world and has a career-high ranking of 159 in 2022. This is his first-ever Grand Slam appearance and has already made a mark with a dramatic first-round victory.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Rinky Hijikata: Match Details
Fixture: Stefanos Tsitsipas @ Rinky Hijikata
Date & Time: Wednesday, January 18, 04:30 am ET
Venue: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Rinky Hijikata: Betting Prediction
This will be the first meeting between the two players against each other and even though Hijikata will be the crowd-favorite, Tsitsipas is the better player overall. He is more experienced and has a far more mature game compared to the Aussie. However, expect an entertaining contest.
Final Prediction: Stefanos Tsitsipas -8.5 (+110)
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