Albert
·
2d
My Prediction
Machac in 3 sets.Looking at the head-to-head, we've got Czech star, seed 26, Tomas Machac, taking on the unseeded American, Reilly Opelka. Reilly's been standing tall, literally and figuratively, against his recent opposition, winning four of his last five matches, only stumbling when he didn't actually play, kind of hard to win then, right? That includes a rather showy breeze past Djokovic that I'm sure has given some bettors a second thought.
Thomas though, not exactly a wallflower himself. He’s been imposing his will with joyful abandon, winning four out of his last five matches as well. Those victories included an enticing straight set takedown of Nagal and a notable triumph over Dimitrov.
Our battleground, Melbourne Park, fondly known as the blue court, with its medium-fast pace and high bounces, more appetizing for a chap like Tomas, an expert spin-master. On the contrary, Reilly should be having cold sweats, as the slick surface is less patient with his lumbering strides and could leave him looking like a runner failing on a treadmill.
Taking that all and stirring it in our pot of predictions, I'd lean towards a man who has the odds in his favor for a reason, that would be our Czech lad, Tomas.
Albert’s Prediction: Machac in 3 sets.