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Australian Open Tips today – Matches today from 16.01.
For many months, tennis fans had to wait, now the long suffering is finally over. Allow me: Australia Open 2023, Melbourne, Grand Slam! It’s serving time again on the big stage, in the night from Sunday to Monday Central European Time we start the new year.
Unlike in 2022, Novak Djokovic is now allowed to compete again, and what can we say: he is immediately the big favourite for the title. Of course, the action in Down Under is not only focused on him.
How fit will Rafael Nadal be, has Daniil Medvedev overcome his weak year in 2022 and what are the hopeful youngsters like Jannik Sinner and Stefanos Tsitsipas doing?
From a German perspective, we are also taking a very close look, after all, Alexander Zverev is celebrating his comeback at a major tournament. But after his serious injury, the Olympic champion is not yet on the list of favourites.
And the German women, who have made such a name for themselves at the last Grand Slams? Thanks to the draw, the chances of at least one of them playing in the next few days are pretty slim.
Australian Open today – tips 16.01.2023
Australian Open Tips Today – 16.01.2023 Preview Day 1
Oscar Otte knows both the sunny and the shady side of the very big competitions. On Sunday night he has to play Shang Juncheng from China, and he is the clear favourite of the bookmakers.
For Daniel Altmaier, the draw has produced a very tough opponent, he will meet top man Frances Tiafoe directly. The American is clearly the better player, hardly any expert believes that a sensation could be in the air.
Rafael Nadal, of course, is the focus of special attention, because not even he could know how fit he really is. Now Jack Draper is a real challenge, which is why a close match is to be expected.
From the German point of view, qualifier Yannick Hanfmann also hopes for a successful Grand Slam. In terms of odds, he is relatively close to the Australian Rinky Hijikata, so whether a home advantage is in the offing?
We have to expect a strong Daniil Medvedev, last year’s finalist. In his first round he faces Marcos Giron. Not an easy opponent, but nevertheless one that the Russian has to beat on a normal day.
Actually, Jule Niemeier is one of Germany’s greatest tennis hopes and wanted to go far at this Australian Open. Now fate has struck mercilessly: her 1st round match is actually against Iga Swiatek, the best in the world!
Tennis tips today broadcast: Where will the matches be played on 16.01.?
Eurosport has hit the road again to provide coverage of the Australian Open as usual. Eurosport, Eurosport 2, Eurosport HD and Eurosport 2 HD, here we get the complete package. Experts are also on hand, no one will have to do without Boris Becker’s razor-sharp analysis in 2023.
Australian Open tips today 16.01.: Oscar Otte – Shang Juncheng (01:00 h)
A year of ups and downs, also owed to a lengthy injury break, Oscar Otte could leave 2022 satisfied on balance. Towards the end of the year, his defeats against top stars were mostly close, which underlined his consistency.
However, there was bad news to report before the Australian Open: In Adelaide, Otte suffered a clear defeat against Tomas Machac in the qualifying round, which was definitely not what he had expected.
After 2022, it is only the second time that he will start directly in the main draw in Down Under, last year he was eliminated in round 2 against Lorenzo Sonego. Then, as now, he will face an opponent from Asia in the opener.
Shang Juncheng, sweet 17 years old, wants to topple Otte! The Chinese talent has beaten notable competition in the qualifiers, including knocking out Fernando Verdasco.
And this despite the fact that he had always dropped out in the qualifying rounds of the most recent Challengers. The teenager does not yet have any experience on the big stage, so the odds of 1.40 to 3.20 point to the German side.
Our Otte Shang expert tip: 4 Sets
Australian Open tips today 16.01.: Daniel Altmaier – Frances Tiafoe (02:05 h)
First Alexander Zverev, now Frances Tiafoe! Daniel Altmaier is playing his second Australia Open and has again had to endure a very difficult draw. The 24-year-old will be the underdog on Monday morning.
The year 2022 ended quite well for the German, he won two Challengers in a row and was already dreaming of bigger titles. His start a few days ago, however, went in a different direction.
Altmaier lost in the qualifier of the ASB Classic against Thiago Monteiro. His average 6.00 to 1.12 before the duel against Tiafoe is therefore not surprising, after all, the US boy is now one of the best in the world.
Tiafoe has arrived in the elite, annoyed all the top stars in 2022. His five sets in the semi-finals of the US Open against Carlos Alcaraz are unforgettable. In Down Under, he wants to build on 2019, where he thrilled his fans by reaching the quarter-finals.
Our Altmaier Tiafoe expert tip: 3:0 Tiefoe
Australian Open tips today 16.01.: Rafael Nadal – Jack Draper (04:30 a.m.)
One is 36, the other 21. When Rafael Nadal meets Jack Draper on Monday, the conditions could not be more different, at least in terms of experience. The Spaniard is seeded No. 1 in Melbourne.
And that despite the fact that his year 2022 ended on a very unpleasant note from a sporting point of view. Once again, the tennis world is puzzling over whether the veteran is fit enough for a Grand Slam. He is the defending champion, beat Daniil Medvedev in 2022 despite being 0-2 down.
He doesn’t see himself as a top favourite in Australia, knows about his physical deficits. Young Jack Draper certainly doesn’t have that problem. This is only his third time in the main draw of a Grand Slam, at the last US Open he beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in the 2nd round before his injury.
He was also quite convincing in Adelaide in the last few days, beating Karen Khachanov and Tommy Paul among others. The Briton reached the semifinals of the Next Generation Finals in November and is regarded by many as the future.
This is also confirmed by the odds of the bookmakers, who believe he has a lot of potential against Rafael Nadal. 1.40 to 3.00? Nadal is actually used to a bigger lead in a 1st round!
Our Nadal Draper expert tip: 1st set Draper
Australian Open tips today 16.01.: Yannick Hanfmann – Rinky Hijikata (05:30 h)
Place 128 against place 167? It should be quite close between Yannick Hanfmann and Rinky Hijikata in the 1st round. The German had to struggle through the qualifying, but also gained a lot of self-confidence here.
Maximilian Marterer had to retire, then he beat Facundo Acosta and Peter Gojowczyk. A main draw at a Grand Slam is by no means the order of the day, the last time he managed that was at the AO in 2022.
At that time, he surprised against Thanasi Kokkinakis, a local hero. This could be a good omen, as he now faces another man from Down Under, Rinky Hijikata.
One who the tournament sent directly into the main round with a wild card. He is playing on the big stage for the second time since the US Open in 2022, and it is unforgettable that he won the first set against Rafael Nadal in September.
Hijikata has also been convincing after the turn of the year when he won a set against Denis Shapovalov in Adelaide. With 1.75 to 2.00, Hanfmann is ahead on Monday, but the margin is very narrow.
Our Hanfmann Hijikata expert tip: Victory Hanfmann
Australian Open tips today 16.01.: Marcos Giron – Daniil Medvedev (10:15 a.m.)
Daniil Medvedev has slumped to eighth in the world rankings, wants to play much stronger in 2023 than he did last year. He is one of the big favourites (behind Novak Djokovic, of course), has not forgotten his final defeat in 2022.
At his only preparatory tournament before the Australian Open, he reached the semi-finals, but then clearly lost out to the Djoker. He collected too few points, especially on his first serve.
Since his debut in 2017, he has not failed in the first round in Melbourne, and that should be prevented this time against Marcos Giron. With odds of 1.02 to 12.00, he enters the race, a clearer lead can hardly be.
Two and a half years ago, however, it was quite close in the only direct duel against Giron, with the favourite winning 6-4, 6-4. The American is number 60 in the world, so he is not in such a bad position.
He has never made it past the first round of the Australian Open in three attempts, winning one set in the three matches. At the ASB Classics, he had Cameron Norrie on the brink of defeat, so you shouldn’t underestimate him at all.
Our Giron Medvedev expert tip: Under 0.5 tiebreaks
Australian Open tips today 16.01.: Iga Swiatek – Jule Niemeier (09:00 h)
Was it her birth in the tennis circus of the greats? Jule Niemeier played her way to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, thrilling fans worldwide. Since there were no world ranking points, the 23-year-old is still only ranked 68th.
She seems to be able to get into really strong form at Grand Slams, because she also stormed into the last 16 in New York. She lost to Iga Swiatek in three sets and posed problems for the best player in the world.
Now she had the misfortune to be drawn against the Pole in the first round. Unsolvable? The odds are in favour with 1.07 to 8.00. A few days ago in Adelaide, she suffered a clear defeat against Karolina Pliskova, and in this form it is unlikely to be anything against Swiatek.
Her seemingly overpowering opponent did without a preparatory tournament and is aiming for her first final in Down Under. In 2022, she was virtually unbeatable; if she lost once, it was tantamount to a sensation.
She is only 21 years old and already hardly anyone can imagine that she will have problems at this Australian Open. But the past US Open showed in her first set against Niemeier (2-6) how she can be tackled.
Our Swiatek Niemeier expert tip: Over 0.5 tiebreaks
