Australian Open 2023, Day 8: Men's singles predictions ft. Novak Djokovic vs Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev vs Holger Rune

The fourth round of the men's singles tournament at the Australian Open will continue on Day 8, with four interesting matchups taking place.

Fourth seed Novak Djokovic faces a tricky opponent in Alex de Minaur while fifth seed Andrey Rublev will be up against ninth seed Holger Rune. 24th seed Roberto Bautista Agut will look to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal in over three years as he takes on Tommy Paul.

Ben Shelton and JJ Wolf will both aim to reach their first Major quarterfinal as they face off in a clash of the Americans.

On that note, let's take a look at the predictions of the men's singles matches on Day 4 of the Australian Open.

#1. Novak Djokovic vs Alex de Minaur

Novak Djokovic will aim to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open as he takes on 22nd seed Alex de Minaur in what will be the very first meeting between the two.

The Serb has looked in brilliant form despite playing a limited amount of tennis in 2022. He put in another dominant display at Melbourne Park to beat Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets and book his place in the fourth round of the Australian Open.

One could argue that Djokovic carrying a hamstring injury might take its toll, but given his mentality, it's hard to rule him out.

Alex de Minaur has looked in good touch lately and will also have the support of the crowd. The 23-year-old's agility and on-court movement will come in very handy, as will his ability to hit winners from tight angles.

However, even with the injury scare, it's hard not to see Djokovic win this one.

Predicted winner: Novak Djokovic

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#2. Andrey Rublev vs Holger Rune

Fifth seed Andrey Rublev and ninth seed Holger Rune will lock horns in what will be arguably the most evenly-matched matchup on paper.

It will be the second meeting between the two, with Rune winning their previous encounter 6-4, 7-5 in the third round of the Paris Masters. The Dane has been in pretty good form over the past few months, most notably winning the Masters 1000 tournament in Paris.

He is yet to drop a set at the Australian Open but beating Rublev will no doubt be a tough task for him. The Russian suffered opening-round defeats at the Adelaide Internationals 1 & 2 but has looked in good nick at the Australian Open, beating Dominic Thiem, Emil Ruusuvuori and Dan Evans en route to the fourth round.

The match promises to be a thrilling one and while Rune has done really well in recent months, Rublev should be able to pip him to the quarterfinals.

Predicted winner: Andrey Rublev.

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#3. Roberto Bautista Agut vs Tommy Paul

24th seed Roberto Bautista Agut will lock horns with Tommy Paul in the fourth round of the Australian Open. It will be the fifth meeting between the two, with Bautista Agut leading 3-1 in the head-to-head.

The Spaniard last reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon in 2019 and this seems like his best opportunity to make it to the last eight of a Major in a while. He will be in good spirits after defeating the gritty Andy Murray in four sets and looks in good touch at the moment.

That said, Paul should not be underestimated as he has beaten the likes of Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev in the past. The American did well to beat compatriot Jenson Brooksby in straight sets and he will no doubt put up a fight against Bautista Agut.

However, the Spaniard should be able to come out on top given his recent run of form.

Predicted winner: Roberto Bautista Agut

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#4. Ben Shelton vs JJ Wolf

World No. 89 Ben Shelton and World No. 67 JJ Wolf will lock horns for the very first time when they face each other in the fourth round of the Australian Open.

Both players have exceeded expectations to be in a position to reach the quarterfinals of the Asia-Pacific Major. Shelton and Wolf have both won their respective last two matches in straight sets and will be in good spirits ahead of their last 16 clash.

Despite the difference in their rankings, the match promises to be an exciting one and might even go to five sets. Wolf might just about defeat Shelton and reach his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Predicted winner: JJ Wolf