Australian Open day six predictions & tennis tips: Rune ready to make mark

Free tennis tips, best bets and analysis for day six of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Saturday.

Where to watch

Live on Eurosport, midnight Friday

Best bets

Holger Rune to beat Ugo Humbert & both players to win a set
1pt 6-5 bet365

Alexei Popyrin to beat Ben Shelton
1pt 3-4 Coral, Ladbrokes

Karolina Pliskova to win 2-0 v Varvara Gracheva
1pt 5-6 bet365

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Day six preview

The third round continues apace at the Australian Open on Saturday with title favourite Novak Djokovic looking to capitalise on an easier path to the final that many expected at the tournament's outset.

Britain's Dan Evans, meanwhile, takes on fifth seed Andrey Rublev and talented Dane Holger Rune faces Frenchman Ugo Humbert.

In the women's draw, the big names to keep an eye on are in-form Caroline Garcia, who is seeded fourth, and consistent performer Aryna Sabalenka, who is up against Elise Mertens of Belgium.

Ugo Humbert v Holger Rune

The third round is already uncharted territory for 19-year-old Rune but the Dane is playing some great tennis and should be backed to continue his Australian adventure.

Ninth seed Rune faced two tough opening contests against Filip Krajinovic and serve-and-volley specialist Maxime Cressy but passed both tests with flying colours, winning both matches in straight sets.

Rune won the Paris Masters in November, beating Novak Djokovic in the final, and he looks primed to get the better of Humbert.

That said, it may not be as straightforward as his first two matches in Melbourne. Humbert looked sharp in his opening win over ASB Classic winner Richard Gasquet and could easily pick up at least a set in defeat.

Alexei Popyrin v Ben Shelton

Last season was a tough one for Australian Alexei Popyrin, who finished the year ranked 120th in the world, but he is already looking stronger in 2023.

Popyrin enjoyed a decent preparation for the first Grand Slam of the season, reaching the quarter-finals in the first of the two Adelaide International events. And although he crashed out in the last 32 of the second tournament in Adelaide, the Aussie pushed compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis close in defeat.

With a home crowd behind him, Popyrin pulled off one of the shocks of the second round in Melbourne when he dispatched eighth seed Taylor Fritz 6-7 7-6 6-4 6-7 6-2 and he could secure his place in the last 16.

Popyrin has been taken to five sets in both of his matches at Melbourne Park but should have enough left in the tank to edge out world number 92 Ben Shelton.

Varvara Gracheva v Karolina Pliskova

Karolina Pliskova reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open four years ago and looks in good shape to have a crack at emulating that run.

The 30th seed has won both of her matches, against Wang Xiyu and Yulia Putintseva, in straight sets heading into a third-round duel with Russian Varvara Gracheva.

Pliskova has started both of her matches on the front foot, dropping just one game in the first sets of her two victories, and she should not face too much resistance from Gracheva, who failed to make it beyond the qualifying round of the ASB Classic and the Hobart International.

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