Australian Open 2024 Day 3: Men's singles predictions ft. Cameron Norrie vs Juan Pablo Varillas, Alexander Bublik vs Sumit Nagal

The third day of the Australian Open promises to be a cracker on the men's side. Some thrilling matches await fans on Tuesday (January 16), including 31st-seeded Alexander Bublik taking on Indian qualifier Sumit Nagal and Dan Evans and Lorenzo Sonego renewing their rivalry.

19th-seeded Cameron Norrie and 28th-seeded Tallon Griekspoor will also be some of the players to look out for.

So, without further ado, let's take a look at how some of the above matches might pan out at the 2024 Australian Open on Tuesday:

#1 Cameron Norrie vs Juan Pablo Varillas

Cameron Norrie hits a backhand at the 2024 Men's ASB Classic

World No. 22 Cameron Norrie went 1-1 in his singles matches at the United Cup, giving him some match practice for the first Major of the year. The Brit will be keen on reaching the second week of the Australian Open for the first time in his career during the fortnight.

Juan Pablo Varillas, meanwhile, mostly enjoys playing on claycourts and is not that adept on hardcourts. Having said that, the Chilean had respectable showings at last year's post-US Open swing, reaching the quarterfinals in Antwerp and winning both of his Davis Cup singles fixtures against Norway.

Norrie leads Varillas by a margin of 1-0 in their head-to-head meetings on the ATP Tour. The Brit beat the Chilean in the semifinals of the Argentina Open in straight sets and will be the prime favorite to replicate the nature of the defeat again at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

Pick: Norrie in straight sets.

#2 Alexander Bublik vs Sumit Nagal

Alexander Bublik in action at the 2024 Adelaide International

Alexander Bublik has had an up-and-down time on the ATP Tour over the last few months. The Kazakh has dropped 10 of his last 21 competitive matches, with his last loss coming in the semifinals of the Adelaide International to Jack Draper.

Sumit Nagal, meanwhile, made the news last year after claiming that his career had been stalled due to a lack of funding. The Indian subsequently received financial support from a few backers, which eventually went a long way.

The 26-year-old qualified for a Major tournament for the first time in three years this week. He will be keen on reaching the second round of the Australian Open for the first time in his career. Knowing Bublik's inconsistency, the Indian just might make it if he is on top of his game.

Pick: Nagal in five sets.

#3 Dan Evans (reached Australian Open 4R before) vs Lorenzo Sonego

Dan Evans hits a slice at the 2024 Adelaide International

World No. 38 Dan Evans and World No. 46 Lorenzo Sonego have been pitted against each other in a brutal first-round match at this week's Australian Open.

Since winning his second career title in Washington last year, Evans has dropped nine of his last 13 matches on the men's tour. Having said that, the Brit has a decent record at the Australian Open, having reached the second week in 2017.

Sonego, meanwhile, has also struggled with his form recently. The Italian had fallen outside the top 70 rankings in early 2023, but a few consistent performances brought him back into the men's Top 50. He achieved his best result at the Australian Open two years ago, reaching the third round.

Evans leads Sonego by a margin of 2-0 in their head-to-head meetings. The Brit's backhand slice will likely help him counteract the 28-year-old's deep groundstrokes, giving him good odds of continuing his winning run against the Italian.

Pick: Evans in four sets.

#4 Tallon Griekspoor vs Roman Safiullin

Roman Safiullin hits a backhand at the 2024 Brisbane International

World No. 36 Roman Safiullin has hit a rich vein of form since the second half of 2023. Ranked on the cusp of the Top 100. The Russian recorded his maiden quarterfinals at Wimbledon, before finishing as the runner-up to Alexander Zverev in Chengdu.

Safiullin didn't stop here, beating then-World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in convincing fashion a few weeks later at the Paris Masters. He followed up his 2023 heroics with a semifinal run at the Brisbane International, where he was denied by an in-form Holger Rune.

Griekspoor, meanwhile, has performed consistently on the men's tour, but is yet to achieve a breakthrough like Safiullin. The Dutch 27-year-old didn't participate in the tune-up to this week's Australian Open.

The two players have never met on the ATP Tour. While the 28th seed has an accurate serve and likes to move his opponents during rallies, he lacks the raw firepower of his Russian opponent. Safiullin is also coming into the Australian Open in red-hot form, giving him a slight edge in this exciting match-up.

Pick: Safiullin in four sets.