Roger Federer got off to a rip roaring start in round 1 of the Australian Open, now he faces Filip Krajinovic in round 2. Fabio Fognini meanwhile will go up against home hero Jordan Thompson at Melbourne Park. Steen Kirby and Yesh Ginsburg offer their predictions.
Roger Federer vs Filip Krajinovic
Yesh: Federer looked imperious in taking out Steve Johnson. As he has got older, Federer has had some trouble being consistently at his elite best, but if he plays anywhere near as well in this match as his first match, he’ll have no trouble. Federer in 3
Steen: Federer has never lost to Krajinovic, and the Serbian needed 5 sets to get through the first round. I don’t expect him to be up for this matchup. Federer will want to work quickly to secure a result here. Federer in 3
Fabio Fognini vs Jordan Thompson
Yesh: Fabio Fognini pulled off an amazing comeback to beat Reilly Opelka. He’ll have confidence and momentum moving forward, which is most important to the mercurial Italian. Fognini in 4
Steen: Thompson’s form isn’t great but he deserves to have some degree of self belief for this match against playing at home against Fognini. The Italian had to survive five sets in round 1 and occasionally his game will go off the rails. It’s a tough call but I’ll still back Fognini. Fognini in 4
Sam Querrey vs Ricardas Berankis
Yesh: Querrey looked very strong in his opening match. He’s better on hard courts than Berankis, and is playing better tennis right now. Also, Querrey always brings his best for the Slams, which have the largest payouts. Querrey in 3
Steen: Two tour veterans, Querrey is the better player in better form. Berankis doesn’t have enough game to trouble him on this surface. Querrey in 3
Dusan Lajovic vs Marc Polmans
Yesh: Lajovic was surprisingly impressive in beating Kyle Edmund in straight sets. As long as the Serbian keeps up that level, won’t be able to muster much of a challenge. Lajovic in 3
Steen: Polmans is a chippy player but Lajovic just upset Kyle Edmund and should ride a wave of positive momentum into round 3. Lajovic in 3
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