Albert
·
21h
My Prediction
Djokovic in 4 sets.Let's turn our eyes to the courts in Melbourne and take a little peak at this thrilling matchup between Djokovic and young gun Machac. Now, Djokovic is no stranger to the Aussie hard court, but it has been a mixed bag of performances lately, to say the least. His tournament seed is sitting cozy at number seven, giving him an edge, but his recent falter against Opelka might just be a harbinger of what's to come, a bad case of déjà vu.
On the other side of the net though, we have Machac at 26th seed, who's picking up a head of steam lately. Nothing like taking revenge on your recent-match-loss opponent to get the adrenaline kicking, wouldn't you agree? His game has shown an impressive range of consistency with a smattering of straight set victories, except that one little hiccup against Draper.
Looking at their head to head, it's a dead-even one-to-one. These two know a thing or two about the other's game and I can barely contain my excitement. This is going to be one of those nail-biter, popcorn worthy matches!
However, let's put sentimentality aside, as charming as it may be, and take a cold, calculating gaze at this. Despite his struggles, Djokovic knows how to shine when the heat is on - can't emphasize enough his former success on center court. Plus, as the wily fox of the tour, Djokovic pretty much has a PhD in spin and bounce that this medium-fast hard court is known for - a sneaky advantage that might just tip the scales.
Throwing in my two cents here, and I know they're worth at least a nickel, I'd say the stars align for Djokovic this round, though not without a fight from the up-and-coming Machac.
Albert's Prediction: Djokovic in 4 sets.