Some well known names are in action day 2 of the 2025 Australian Open, including the return of Nick Kyrgios to Melbourne, and Denis Shapovalov against veteran Roberto Bautista Agut. Our panelists offer their predictions for every Day 2 match at the Australian Open.
We split the rest of Monday’s matches in Melbourne between six other articles. They feature Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Shevchenko, Jannik Sinner vs Nicolas Jarry, Novak Djokovic vs Nishesh Basavareddy, Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alex Michelsen, Arthur Rinderknech vs Frances Tiafoe, and Fabio Fognini vs Grigor Dimitrov. Who do you think will advance to Round 2?
Australian Open Day 2 Predictions
Nick Kyrgios vs Jacob Fearnley
Steen Kirby: The 23-year-old Fearnley is at a career high of #86, he comes off a Challenger semifinal and won 30 Challenger Tour matches last year, with 4 Challenger Tour titles. Kyrgios warm up match in Brisbane went to three tiebreaks against a fellow big server, his serve is a threat and he will feed off the home fans, it’s hard to predict against Kyrgios against a player of Fearnley’s level, despite his lack of match practice.
Prediction: Kyrgios in 4
Liam McBride: The return of Kyrgios will always intrigue. There are questions over his fitness though, after some serious surgeries on his wrist. Fearnley enjoyed a terrific season on the Challenger tour last season and pushed Novak Djokovic to four sets in Wimbledon. However, fit or unfit, Kyrgios remains a man of immense talent and will make the second round comfortably.
Prediction: Kyrgios in 3
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Damian Kust: We didn’t learn much about Kyrgios’s form in Brisbane, given his match against Mpetshi Perricard was so serve-oriented (36 consecutive holds). Fearnley is so all-rounded and if he finds good timing on return, the Australian might struggle to find any weakness he can potentially exploit. Could be a tough one for the comeback player.
Prediction: Fearnley in 5
Sebastian Baez vs Arthur Cazaux
Steen: Cazaux won 24 matches last year, Baez won 29 but at a higher level, Baez much prefers clay and that sets up Cazaux in a credible position to pull an upset.
Prediction: Cazaux in 4
Liam: Truthfully, hard court isn’t either’s best surface. For Baez, don’t be fooled by his small frame, his movement is immense and his forehand a weapon. Many have likened him to his former fellow countryman Diego Schwartzman. Cazaux is without a doubt talented and reached the fourth round here last season. He will not repeat this feat, though, and will be packing his bags early.
Prediction: Baez in 4
Damian: Baez is usually the seed you wanna draw at non-clay-court Majors and this is no exception. Cazaux had this big run last year that I’m not sure he’s quite capable of repeating right now, but if his body holds up he’s the much better hardcourt player of the two. And maybe that magical showing from 2024 will give him some extra confidence.
Prediction: Cazaux in 4
Gabriel Diallo vs Luca Nardi
Steen: The 21-year-old Nardi recently won 8 matches in a row, the Italian is a player to watch in 2025, and the 23 old Diallo is the same, Diallo reached an ATP final late last year and is solid on the Challenger Tour. I give Diallo a slight edge, but this is really a coin flip between talented players.
Prediction: Diallo in 5
Liam: Diallo is somewhat of an enigma in tennis. Despite being 6’6″, his serve lacks real guile, and his overall game style is passive. There is a lot of untapped potential for a man with the raw materials to be a top player. On the other hand, Nardi lacks the physical traits associated with tennis success but has great grit and determination. Despite being six inches shorter, it will be the twenty-one-year-old who is the more aggressive and will reap the rewards of it.
Prediction: Nardi in 4
Damian: Nardi ended up finishing last season in the Top 100 thanks to a last-minute title, but it doesn’t seem like his level has improved all that much. Diallo on the other hand will be trying to follow up a brilliant finish where it seemed like he really raised the middle ground of his game. If he can keep that up, he seems like the much stronger of the two young prospects right now.
Prediction: Diallo in 4
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Denis Shapovalov
Steen: Shapovalov bounced back with 26 wins and an ATP title last year, he is a former quarterfinalist at this tournament who is now trying to stay healthy and return to that stage. The 36 year old RBA continues to perform well at tour level and battles for every point, he has a fantastic 27-15 record at the Australian Open and this is an intriguing match. Shapovalov has bigger shots but RBA’s consistency is a threat.
Prediction: Bautista Agut in 4
Liam: This is an extremely interesting tie. Bautista Agut continues to bring his consistent game to the floor and enjoys success with it. At thirty-six years old, he won his twelfth title in Antwerp last season. On the other hand, Shapovalov has all the shot-making talent in the world but has lacked the tennis IQ and consistency to make the most of it. Expect the Canadian to come flying out of the blocks but ultimately fade away to another sorry defeat.
Prediction: Bautista Agut in 4
Damian: Shapovalov interestingly leads this head-to-head 3-0 (7-0 in sets), even though matchups like this are often tough for him with how resilient Bautista Agut tends to be. The veteran seems poised to have his closest match against the Canadian and this doesn’t seem lop-sided, but maybe the matchup history does mean something in this case?
Prediction: Shapovalov in 5
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
