Australian Open 2022, 2nd Round, Thursday, 20.01.2022
Novak Djokovic not at the start? Then the title will probably only go to the number 2 or number 3 in the world! The favourites at the Australian Open 2022 are clear: they see either Alexander Zverev or Daniil Medvedev as the winner.
The Russian will “only” face a competitor outside the top 100 in his 2nd round, but the audience will be united against him. Why? Because his opponent is called Nick Kyrgios!
So the show will not be short of action in this match, which will take place on Wednesday night. But Kyrgios has hardly any chance of advancing at the bookies, whether he is also behind in my Kyrgios Medvedev tip?
Would Daniil Medvedev have wished for an easier task for his 2nd round? He started his quest to become the world number one with a 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 win over Henri Laaksonen. If he wins the tournament, the top position will light up.
He had everything under control against the Swiss, but it was still clear that he acted a bit erratically towards the end. He allowed five break chances, which has been seen better before.
After his victories at the ATP Cup against Matteo Berrettini, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alex de Minaur, you could tell that he was still lacking a bit of spryness. It’s been a year since he lost the Melbourne final outright to Novak Djokovic.
2018 he was actually eliminated once in Round 2, so he knows what an early trip home feels like. But nobody seriously expects that to happen to him now. Not even 1.20 is available at Unibet for a win on Thursday.
Well, his opponent is only ranked 115 in the world. But does that mean anything at all in the case of Nick Kyrgios? The Australian only competes in selected tournaments and can be all the more unpredictable.
In front of his audience, he wants to be at his best and shine with his serve. His 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in Round 1 against Liam Brody was already quite commanding. He only allowed a break once, has similar strengths to Daniil Medvedev.
Kyrgios hasn’t been seen playing since September, which is not out of character for him. Last year, he was already leading 2-0 against Dominic Thiem at the AO before his strength left him.
Whenever he serves in the main draw, you rarely see him lose. He has never lost in three sets without a tiebreak, and the duels often go the full distance.
His odds on Thursday are still relatively high with a 5.75.
My Kyrgios Medvedev Tip
Will Nick Kyrgios stand a chance against Daniil Medvedev with the help of the crowd? His strong serve should help the Australian upset the world No. 2.
In my eyes, Medvedev is of course ahead in terms of quality, but Kyrgios has already shown often enough that the really big matches suit him. That’s why I can’t imagine that the Russian will make too short a process with him and that’s why I’m betting:
We see more than 34.5 games!
