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The Australian Open 2024 will commence on January 14, with the opening day seeing some cracking encounters.
Defending champions Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka will start their respective campaigns against Dino Prizmic and Ella Seidel. The likes of Jannik Sinner, Andrey Rublev, Taylor Fritz and Maria Sakkari are also scheduled to be in action.
On that note, let's take a look at the predictions for some of the singles matches that will take place on the opening day of Australian Open 2024.
#1 Marin Cilic vs Fabian Marozsan
2018 runner-up Marin Cilic will take on Fabian Marozsan in the first round of Australian Open 2024. It will be the very first meeting between the two.
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Cilic is slowly returning to action after injuries ruled him out of action for over a year. He managed to push Jan-Lennard Struff to three sets in his comeback match in Hong Kong.
Marozsan, on the other hand, is coming off a second-round exit at the ASB Classic in Auckland. The Hungarian had a few promising results in 2023, most notably defeating Carlos Alcaraz in Rome.
While Marozsan will most likely be favored to win, Cilic's experience might just about see him get the win and reach the second round in Melbourne.
Predicted winner: Marin Cilic
#2 Francisco Cerundolo vs Dane Sweeny
Francisco Cerundolo will face local qualifier Dane Sweeny in the opening round of Australian Open 2024. It will be the very first meeting between the two.
Cerundolo suffered an opening-match defeat to Alexandre Muller at the ASB Classic. Sweeny, meanwhile, booked his place in the Australian Ope main draw after his final qualifier opponent Zizou Bergs retired during the match due to injury.
The Argentine will be heavily favored to win and if he produces the kind of tennis he is capable of at his best, then he should be able to do so without much trouble.
Predicted Winner: Francisco Cerundolo
#3 Sebastian Baez vs JJ Wolf
Sebastian Baez will face JJ Wolf in the first round of the Australian Open. This will be the second meeting between the two, with the American triumphing in their last encounter in Stockholm a few months back.
Both players will be entering the match at the back of first-round exits, with Baez losing in Adelaide while Wolf tasted defeat in Auckland.
While the Argentine is seeded second, Wolf reached the fourth round in Melbourne last year. The latter should manage to come out on top to reach the second round at Australian Open 2024.
Predicted Winner: JJ Wolf
#4 Cristian Garin vs Christopher O’Connell
Cristian Garin will take on Christopher O’Connell in the first round of Australian Open 2024. It will be the first meeting between the two in the main draw of an ATP Tour, with the Chilean winning in two qualifiers.
Garin will be playing his first match in 2024, while O'Connell reached the quarterfinals at the Adelaide International.
While Garin has a winning record against O'Connell, the latter will have home support. That should just about see him eke out a win to reach the second round at the Australian Open 2024.
Predicted winner: Christopher O’Connell
