Expect plenty of exciting tennis on day six at the Australian Open with eight matches on the schedule at Melbourne Park. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match, including Aryna Sabalenka vs Elise Mertens. But who will book their place in the second week?
Australian Open Day 6 Predictions
Belinda Bencic vs Camila Giorgi
Jim: This will be a real test of Belinda Bencic’s credentials. Camila Giorgi has been timing the ball sweetly so far in Melbourne and when the Italian gets on a roll she can be hard to stop. If she plays as well as she did in beating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, she might just have the edge here.
Prediction: Giorgi in 3
Damian: Giorgi can beat anyone on her day and that makes her an opponent you don’t want to see in your draw. Is it likely that happens against Bencic? Not really as the Swiss should be able to counter-punch pretty well and could frustrate her with the flatter strokes.
Prediction: Bencic in 3
Yesh: Giorgi looks in good form, which should scare just about everyone on Tour. Bencic looks good, so this should be a high-quality match. Flip a coin to pick, and just enjoy it while watching.
Prediction: Bencic in 3
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Caroline Garcia vs Laura Siegemund
Jim: This looks like a very winnable match for Caroline Garcia. It’s been a great effort on Laura Siegemund’s part to reach the third round, but Garcia is a cut above the opponent’s she has faced so far in Melbourne.
Prediction: Garcia in 2
Damian: It’s been a nice run for Siegemund, but she’ll probably be a bit outmatched here on a hard court. Garcia’s playstyle isn’t that reliable, but the contrast of weaponry is huge and the Frenchwoman should enjoy herself as she tries to keep the points short and steps inside the baseline to take time away on the return.
Prediction: Garcia in 2
Yesh: People spent years learning not to consistently trust Garcia. It’s time to unlearn that, because she’s not losing matches to lower-ranked players anymore.
Prediction: Garcia in 2
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Donna Vekic vs Nuria Parrizas Diaz
Jim: Donna Vekic rolled back the years (if a 26-year-old can do that) in dismissing Liudmila Samsonova for the loss of only three games. She will face a wily opponent in good form in Nuria Parrizas Dias, but if the Croatian can maintain the level she has displayed so far in Melbourne, she should have the edge.
Prediction: Vekic in 3
Damian: Vekic was barely losing games at the United Cup, but struggled with Selekhmeteva here in the opening round. She was already doing better on Thursday though and Parrizas-Diaz should have a hard time matching her upside if she’s on.
Prediction: Vekic in 2
Yesh: Parrizas Diaz has been impressive so far at the Australian Open, but Vekic is more talented and a better player than the Spaniard hard courts.
Prediction: Vekic in 2
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Karolina Pliskova vs Varvara Gracheva
Jim: Karolina Pliskova has looked sharp so far in Melbourne, beating Wang Xinyu and Yulia Putintseva fairly handily. But Varvara Gracheva has also impressed, thrashing Daria Kasatkina and Lucrezia Stefanini. Still, in what looks like quite an evenly matched contest, it’s hard not to back Pliskova’s considerable experience.
Prediction: Pliskova in 3
Damian: Pliskova was plagued by injuries in 2022, but she’s really picking up her game by now. She’s got a lot of Grand Slam experience and will be very tough to stop. Varvara Gracheva has been doing well so far, but this will be a big step up for her.
Prediction: Pliskova in 2
Yesh: Pliskova is rolling back the years. Maybe not all the way to her peak, but she looks very good this event. Gracheva shouldn’t be able to stop her.
Prediction: Pliskova in 2
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