Australian Open day two predictions & tennis betting tips: Rublev to shine

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

Where to watch

Live on Eurosport, midnight Monday

Best bets

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to beat Alexander Bublik
1pt 8-11 general

Andrey Rublev -1.5 sets v Dominic Thiem
2pts 8-13 Coral, Ladbrokes

Alize Cornet to beat Leylah Fernandez
1pt 13-8 bet365

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Day two preview

Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev are the main attractions on day two of the Australian Open and while neither should have any real concern in their Melbourne openers, former British number one Andy Murray may be fearing the worst against impressive Italian Matteo Berrettini.

Aryna Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur and Caroline Garcia are the star turns in the women’s event and they should ease into round two, although former US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez may find things tougher against Alize Cornet.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina v Alexander Bublik

Alexander Bublik remains winless in 2023 and the Kazakh’s wait for a victory could go on as he faces Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the first round of the Australian Open.

Bublik was beaten by Stan Wawrinka and Hubert Hurkacz at the United Cup earlier this month and then was dominated by David Goffin in his opening assignment in Auckland, losing 6-3 6-4.

Davidovich Fokina, meanwhile, enjoyed a run to the quarter-final of his warm-up event in Adelaide, having eased past Brandon Nakshima and John Millman before bumping into eventual runner-up Roberto Bautista Agut.

The Spaniard, who is four places higher in the world rankings, is in better nick and has more potential so is worthy of support at 8-11.

Andrey Rublev v Dominic Thiem

Injuries have derailed the career of Dominic Thiem, who in three years has slipped from world number three to world number 98.

The former US Open champion and Australian Open runner-up may never scale those heights again and he looks up against it in his opening game with Andrey Rublev.

The Russian world number six has made the quarter-final in six of his last nine Grand Slam appearances, including here in 2021, and he should pass this opening test with flying colours.

Thiem lost in straight sets in his opening two warm-up games against Felix Auger-Aliassime and Soonwoo Kwon and another defeat may follow against Rublev, who should prevail in at least four sets.

Leylah Fernandez v Alize Cornet

Fernandez was runner-up at the US Open in 2021 but the 20-year-old Canadian has been beaten in the first round of the Australian Open on all three of her visits.

And another stern test awaits against Frenchwoman Cornet, who was a quarter-finalist in Melbourne last season.

Fernandez was no match for Belgian Ysaline Bonaventure at the ASB Classic last week and she is a vulnerable favourite in this match-up with Cornet, who is five places higher in the world rankings and is a five-time winner on the WTA Tour.

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