Day 2 of the Australian Open sees most of the first round completed, with a whopping 28 men’s singles matches on the cards. As always, our writers here at LastWordOnTennis share their thoughts on the matches with you. We split the 28 matches between seven articles. In addition to this article, the others feature Novak Djokovic vs Pedro Martinez, Daniil Medvedev vs Jesper de Jong, Andrey Rublev vs Matteo Arnaldi, Stan Wawrinka vs Laslo Djere, Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Nuno Borges, and Denis Shapovalov vs Yunchaokete Bu. Predicting these matches are Tope Oke, Zain Mustafa, and Ilemona Onekutu. Who do you think will win?

Australian Open Day 2 Predictions
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Juncheng Shang

Tope:
Juncheng Shang is playing at a higher level at the moment, but his efficiency may begin to fade away under the Australian heat because of his too-common fitness concerns, leaving the experienced Spaniard to find a way back into the contest.
Prediction: Bautista Agut in 5

Zain:
Roberto Bautista Agut has only played one match since the US Open, but he is a player who has shown he can come back and be effective on tour straight away on the back of his counterpunching style and solid forehand. But at this age, I think Shang should have enough firepower to pull this off.
Prediction: Shang in 4

Ilemona:
Shang has exciting upside, but Bautista Agut’s discipline and depth make him a brutal first-round test. Experience in managing momentum should be decisive.
Prediction: Bautista Agut in 5

Mackenzie McDonald vs Alex de Minaur

Tope:
This battle will only have one outcome. The older McDonald hasn’t defeated De Minaur in three attempts on hard courts, and that isn’t going to change now.
Prediction: de Minaur in 3

Zain:
McDonald’s level in recent seasons has been far below what his ball striking would suggest; in fact, he is lucky to even be playing in the main draw here, having lost in qualifying. De Minaur has time and time again shown that he has the ability to overwhelm under-matched opponents, and on home soil he should start the same way.
Prediction: de Minaur in 3

Ilemona:
McDonald can redirect pace, but de Minaur’s speed and relentless pressure tend to squeeze opponents out of clean hitting windows. Over five sets, that intensity usually tells.
Prediction: de Minaur in 3

Mariano Navone vs Hamad Medjedovic

Tope:
Hamad Medjedovic’s documented fitness issues will come into play in the best-of-five sets match against the very mobile Argentine, Mariano Navone. The Serb is the superior player and must find a way to close this one out quickly.
Prediction: Medjedovic in 3

Zain:
While Navone has excellent court coverage and a solid forehand, he is more known for his clay-court game. Medjedovic, on the other hand, has great weapons for a hard court, but his fitness always makes matches tougher than they should be. I’m still backing his ball quality over his endurance here.
Prediction: Medjedovic in 4

Ilemona:
Navone’s grinding style may struggle to blunt Medjedovic’s power on these courts. If Medjedovic stays patient, he should control the big moments.
Prediction: Medjedovic in 5

Tommy Paul vs Aleksandar Kovacevic

Tope:
Recent warm-up matches appear to show Tommy Paul isn’t in optimal condition, and if he isn’t, Aleksandar Kovacevic is more than capable of taking advantage of any slips. Otherwise, the Americans should wrap this up comfortably.
Prediction: Paul in 3

Zain:
Despite missing a big portion of 2025 due to various injuries, Paul looked good in Adelaide this past week. While Kovacovic’s aggressive style and big serve can be a nuisance, Paul should be able to get the job done here in Melbourne, barring any physical issues.
Prediction: Paul in 4

Ilemona:
Kovacevic can be dangerous when he’s serving well, but Paul’s speed and ability to counterpunch should neutralize those bursts. Once rallies settle, Paul’s all-court balance stands out.
Prediction: Paul in 3

Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports