Australian Open 2024: Grigor Dimitrov vs Marton Fucsovics preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (13) Grigor Dimitrov vs Marton Fucsovics

Date: Sunday, January 14, 2024

Tournament: Australian Open 2024

Round: First Round (Round of 128)

Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor hard

Prize money: $39,264,000

Live telecast: USA - ESPN, Tennis Channel | Australia - Nine Network, Stan Sport | India and Indian Subcontinent - Sony Sports Network

Grigor Dimitrov vs Marton Fucsovics preview

Grigor Dimitrov won his first title in six years at the 2024 Brisbane International

Grigor Dimitrov will be eager to continue his great start to the 2024 ATP Tour season when he takes on Hungary's Marton Fucsovics in the first round in Melbourne.

Dimitrov has arguably been playing the best tennis of his career lately. The Bulgarian accumulated an impressive 41-21 win/loss record in 2023 but failed to win an ATP title. He finally struck gold at last week's Brisbane International, playing some big-time tennis to win his first pro title since 2017.

Marton Fucsovics, meanwhile, was a top 50 mainstay for several years before a downturn in form recently. He enjoyed a good first half of 2023, reaching the fourth round at the Indian Wells Masters and the quarterfinals of the Stuttgart Open.

However, the World No. 69 has failed to impress since June, having lost 12 of his last 24 matches. The 31-year-old's most recent loss came against Italy's Matteo Arnaldi in the first round of this week's Adelaide International.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Marton Fucsovics head-to-head

Fucsovics leads Dimitrov by a margin of 2-1 in their head-to-head meetings. While the Hungarian beat him in back-to-back matches at the Cincinnati Masters and the US Open in 2020, the Bulgarian scored his only win at the 2021 San Diego Open.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Marton Fucsovics odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games (Over/Under)
Grigor Dimitrov
Marton Fucsovics

The odds will be updated when they are released.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Marton Fucsovics prediction

The former World No. 3 is an outside favorite for this year's Australian Open

Dimitrov's game has been firing on all cylinders in 2024. During his Brisbane final against Holger Rune, the former World No. 3 won nearly 80% of his first-serve points. He also chipped and blocked with interest on his opponent's serve, winning an impressive 57% of the points on the Dane's second delivery.

The most important aspect of the World No. 13's game recently has been his forehand. While the 32-year-old has been conservative with his shot placement throughout his career, he is willing to be more aggressive lately and that has reaped plenty of rewards.

Fucsovics also possesses impressive shot-making skills from both wings and never shies from lung-busting rallies. The Hungarian has one of the best two-handers on the men's tour.

Having said that, his backhand is likely to be counteracted by Dimitrov's low backhand slice. The Bulgarian might face some resistance from the Hungarian, but he will most likely go through the second round as he is in red-hot form.

Pick: Dimitrov in four sets.