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Day 1 of Australian Open 2025 will take place on January 12, with some top players being in action. A total of 32 matches are scheduled to be played in Melbourne Park.
Aryna Sabalenka will start her title defence against Sloane Stephens while sixth seed Casper Ruud will be the highest-ranked men's player in action, as he takes on Jaume Munar. The likes of Zheng Qinwen, Paula Badosa and Mirra Andreeva will also be in action.
On that note, let us take a look at the predictions for some of the matches on Day 1 of the Australian Open.
#1. Arthur Fils vs Otto Virtanen
20th seed Arthur Fils will take on World No. 92 Otto Virtanen in the first round of the Australian Open. It will be their first meeting on the ATP Tour, with Fils having beaten the Finn previously in the quarterfinals of a Challenger event in Quimper back in 2023.
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The Frenchman will enter the Melbourne Major at the back of a quarterfinal exit at the Hong Kong Open while Virtanen last competed at a Challenger event in his native Finland and was eliminated in the last eight.
Based on current run of form, not to forget a relatively more amount of experience on the ATP Tour, Fils should not have much issues beating the World No. 92 and qualifying for the second round of the Australian Open.
Predicted Winner: Arthur Fils.
#2. Ugo Humbert vs Matteo Gigante
14th seed Ugo Humbert will take on Italian qualifier Matteo Gigante in the first round of the Australian Open. It will be the very first encounter between the two.
Humbert last competed at the United Cup, where he won one out of two singles matches, while Gigante, who is ranked 146th in the world, beat Nick Hardt, Lukas Neumayer and Henrique Rocha to qualify for the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.
Humbert had some impressive performances in 2024, that included winning the Dubai Tennis Championships and reaching the final of the Paris Masters, not to forget he also made it to the quarterfinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters. Gigante, on the other hand, is competing in his first main draw of a tour-level event since the 2024 Italian Open.
The Frenchman's relatively superior form makes him the overwhelming favorite to win, and he should be able to get the better of Gigante to reach the second round of the Australian Open.
Predicted Winner: Ugo Humbert.
#3. Tomas Machac vs Sumit Nagal
26th seed Tomas Machac will take on Sumit Nagal in the first round of the Australian Open. It will be the very first meeting between the two players.
Machac will enter the Melbourne Major after winning two out of four singles matches at the United Cup, where Czech Republic reached the semifinals. Sumit Nagal last competed at the ASB Classic, where he qualified for the main draw before losing to Alex Michelsen in the opening round.
While Nagal is a tricky opponent and no slouch, Machac will have to be careful in how he plays. That said, it will take the Indian nothing short of a miracle to defeat the Czech and reach the second round of the Australian Open.
Predicted Winner: Tomas Machac.
#4. Jiri Lehecka vs Li Tu
24th seed Jiri Lehecka will face local wildcard Li Tu in the first round of the Australian Open, in what will be the two's very first encounter on the ATP Tour.
Lehecka will enter the Melbourne Major at the back of an impressive showing at the Brisbane International, where he won the singles tournament and reached the final of the doubles event. Li, on the other hand, last competed at the Adelaide International, where he suffered a second-round exit at the hands of Benjamin Bonzi.
Lehecka will be in good spirts ahead of the Australian Open, and given his current form, it seems highly unlikely for the Czech to not qualify from the first round.
Predicted Winner: Jiri Lehecka
#5. Aleksandar Vukic vs Damir Dzumhur
Damir Dzumhur and Aleksandar Vukic will square off for the first time when they lock horns in the first round of the Australian Open.
Dzumhur last entered the Adelaide International, where he narrowly lost to James McCabe in the opening round. Vukic, on the other hand, had to endure a first-round loss at the ATP 250 event.
Vukic is not too far above Dzumhur in the ATP rankings and given that he could have the crowd support as well, there is a good chance of the Aussie reaching the second round of the Australian Open.
Predicted Winner: Aleksandar Vukic
