'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Day 2 of the Australian Open will see the bottom half of the men's draw in action. 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas and Jannik Sinner are some of the high-profile names set to begin their campaigns on Tuesday. Let's take a look at how the top players are expected to fare on the second day of the tournament.
(2) Daniil Medvedev vs Henri Laaksonen
Medvedev will begin his quest for a second Grand Slam title and a shot at the World No. 1 ranking against Henri Laaksonen. While he needed three sets to win their previous encounter in 2019, the Russian is a completely different player now and shouldn't have much trouble dispatching the Swiss.
Predicted winner: Daniil Medvedev
(4) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Mikael Ymer
Stefanos Tsitsipas' chances at this year's Australian Open depend upon whether he has fully recovered from elbow surgery. In the 2022 ATP Cup, he put up a fight against Diego Schwartzman before going down in three sets. But the Greek has had sufficient time to rest and should start his campaign in Melbourne with a win.
Predicted winner: Stefanos Tsitsipas
(5) Andrey Rublev vs Gianluca Mager
Andrey Rublev tested positive for COVID-19 towards the end of December, and that affected his preparation for the 2022 Australian Open. This will be the Russian's first match of the year and while he will be a little rusty, he shouldn't have much trouble getting past Italian Gianluca Mager.
Predicted winner: Andrey Rublev
(8) Casper Ruud vs Alex Molcan
Casper Ruud was extremely consistent last year, winning 57 matches. However, he underperformed at the Majors. His opponent Alex Molcan is playing in his second Slam and is making his debut at the Australian Open. Given Ruud's experience, he is expected to advance to the next round.
Predicted winner: Casper Ruud
(9) Felix Auger-Alisassime vs Emil Ruusuvuori
Felix Auger-Aliassime was instrumental in leading Canada to victory at the 2022 ATP Cup. The 21-year old will be eager to replicate his form at the Melbourne Major. The Canadian performed well at the Slams last year, reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the semifinals at the US Open
Emil Ruusuvuori had a decent start to 2022, reaching the semifinals of the Melbourne Summer Set. It should be a competitive match between the duo, but the Canadian is expected to see it through.
Predicted winner: Felix Auger-Aliassime
(11) Jannik Sinner vs Joao Sousa
Jannik Sinner's rapid ascent to the top of the men's game has made him a dark horse for the title. Against lucky loser Joao Sousa, Sinner is expected to record a straightforward victory to commence his Australian Open campaign.
Predicted winner: Jannik Sinner
(13) Diego Schwartzman vs Filip Krajinovic
Both players competed in the 2022 ATP Cup and performed reasonably well. Filip Krajinovic certainly possesses the game to pull off an upset. This match has the potential to go the distance and could go either way. But Diego Schwartzman has been the more consistent player for a while and starts as the favorite in this encounter.
Predicted winner: Diego Schwartzman
(21) Nikoloz Basilashvili vs (WC) Andy Murray
Andy Murray defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili en route to the final at the Sydney Tennis Classic last week. The Brit is high on confidence going into this contest while his opponent, who hasn't won a match this year, must be feeling the exact opposite. Murray is a five-time finalist at the Australian Open and should notch yet another win over his opponent.
Predicted winner: Andy Murray
