Diego Schwartzman vs Aslan Karatsev - 2021 Australian Open Men's Singles Third Round

1. Australian Open Predictions
2. Australian Open 3rd Round Predictions Today
3. Australian Open 3rd Round Predictions 2019

Friday February 12th, 2021 / 12:00am EST

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23-year-old Osaka lost at this stage of the tournament last season and the former Australian Open champion will meet Ons Jabeur for the first time here for a first proper challenge. THE PREDICTION This looks like one of the must-watch matches of the third round in a first career meeting between Naomi Osaka and Ons Jabeur, with the Tunisian. Azarenka, who reached the US Open final in September, is a two-time winner at the Australian Open. She could face former US Open champ Sam Stosur in the second round, followed by 20th seed Maria.

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Eighth seeded Diego Schwartzman of Argentina faces unseeded Russian Aslan Karatsev in the Third Round of the 2021 Australian Open in Melbourne. The match is scheduled to take place on Friday February 12th, 2021 at 12:00am EST. They have never faced each other before on the ATP Tour. Does the unfancied Russian have what it takes to cause the massive upset?

Diego Schwartzman is coming off an outstanding 2020 season which saw him break into the top 10 for the first time. He is one of the best movers in the world and is very difficult to hit through. He has added an offensive element to his game, taking him to another level. Schwartzman surprisingly lost a set to Elias Ymer in the First Round before winning in four sets, then dismantled lucky loser Alexandre Muller in the Second Round. He seems to be finding form at just the right time and seems focused on making a deep run at the tournament. More comfortable on clay, he has recently expanded his game and is now a serious threat on the harder surfaces as well. He enters this match as the big favorite and will be very confident in advancing here.

Australian Open Predictions

Aslan Karatsev is currently ranked #114 and entered the Australian Open as a Qualifier. This is his Grand Slam debut and he is making the most of it, looking in extremely good form so far. He is yet to lose a set here so far, defeating Gianluca Mager in the First Round before shockingly destroying the higher ranked Egor Gerasimov for the loss of only 1 game in the Second Round. Normally he would not really be given much of a chance here but that performance has made everyone sit up and take note. He is a very solid baseline player with a strong serve. He does have more power than his opponent so he has the potential to make things interesting if he can control his unforced errors.

While Karatsev has looked amazingly good so far, his run ends here. Diego Schwartzman is simply too solid and quick for him and I expect him to wear the Russian down eventually. In this current form the Russian has a chance to nick a set if the Argentina drops his guard, but that's about as far as it goes. Diego Schwartzman to win.

Spots in the elusive second week of the a Grand Slam are on the line as day 5 at the 2021 Australian Open features third round action. Fraser Learmonth and Damian Kust offer their predictions, including whether Simona Halep and Naomi Osaka are at risk of earlier exits than they would like.

Australian Open 3rd Round Predictions Today

Simona Halep vs Veronika Kudermetova

Damian: Simona Halep survived a thriller against Alja Tomljanovic and it’s not getting any easier for her as Veronika Kudermetova has been playing brilliant tennis recently. Halep’s impressive mentality was on full display again on Wednesday as she had to dig really deep and play her best under pressure. This won’t come easy but she can do it again. Halep in 3

Fraser: Simona Halep survived a serious scare against Australian Alja Tomljanovic in her second round matchup, coming from a break down in the deciding set to book her place in the third round. She faces another tough test here against an in form Kudermetova. Kudermetova has the power to trouble Halep if she is hitting her spots. Halep’s defensive abilities and court coverage should be enough to see her through here but it will be close. Halep in 3

Marketa Vondrousova vs Sorana Cirstea

Damian: Marketa Vondrousova got just one game off Garbine Muguruza last week and hasn’t been particularly convincing. Meanwhile, Sorana Cirstea should be flying really high after a fantastic win over Petra Kvitova. The Romanian is one of the most dangerous unseeded floaters in the draw and while her level can fluctuate wildly, I expect her to prove that again here and expose Vondrousova’s relative lack of weaponry. Cirstea in 3

Australian Open 3rd Round Predictions 2019

Fraser: Vondrousova looks to have finally out her injuries behind her and seems well on her way to becoming the elite talent many though she could be after her run to the french open final in 2019. She faces tough opposition in Cirstea, who upset Kvitova in the first round. However, The Czech is playing top tennis and is full of confidence and it is too big of an ask for Cirstea to upset to top quality lefties in a row. Vondrousova in 2

Ann Li vs Aryna Sabalenka

Damian: Aryna Sabalenka may be off her winning streak already but perhaps that will also help her get rid of the additional pressure. The Belarusian is still looking for her big Grand Slam breakthrough and all the signs are pointing to the possibility that it might come here. She better not disregard Ann Li, who’s been playing great tennis the past week or so and is capable of cleaning up if Sabalenka goes into her error after error mode. Sabalenka in 3

Fraser: Ann Li is in the form of her life to start the year and is yet to lose in Melbourne after making it as far as she could in the Grampians trophy warmup event that didn’t feature a final. However, she will have to produce something truly special to beat Sabalenka. The Belarussian won three tournaments on the bounce before falling to Kanepi in her warmup event. However, she looks to have found a groove again and was impressive in dismissing Kasatkina. Li may well turn into a star this year, but it won’t happen at the Australian Open. Sabalenka in 2

Naomi Osaka vs Ons Jabeur

Damian: Ons Jabeur is an uncomfortable opponent to face with her unique playstyle and a lot of variation of spins and tactics. But Naomi Osaka has been looking really convincing in the first two rounds, scoring decisive wins over dangerous opponents. It looks like the Japanese’s withdrawal from the Gippsland Trophy was merely a precaution and she is ready to go deep here again. Osaka in 2

Fraser: Ons Jabeur made history here last year by becoming the first ever Arab woman to make the quarterfinal of a grand slam. Unfortunately she won’t be repeating that feat again this year as she is up against a Naomi Osaka in frightening form. The Japenese star has demolished all comers so far in Australia and will surely do the same here. Her combination of breath-taking power and great movement make it hard to pick against her at the moment. Osaka in 2

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