Will the ‘enfant terrible’ pull off a big surprise?
No other player on the ATP Tour is as close to genius and madness as “enfant terrible” Nick Kyrgios. The Australian local hero starts from only 115th place in the ATP world rankings at the Grand Slam tournament in his home country. But he can still keep up with the world’s elite.
In the second round, however, the Australian will have to face one of the favourites for the overall title. In the run-up to the match between Nick Kyrgios and Daniil Medvedev, the odds are heavily in favour of the Russian, who could even climb to number one in the ATP world rankings in Melbourne.
However, it has to be said that on a good day Nick Kyrgios can really beat any opponent on the ATP Tour. His record shows that this is not just an empty phrase. Against Daniil Medvedev, the Australian has a win rate of 100%.
Accordingly, it is also interesting to risk an underdog bet in this highlight of the second round. Also because of the interesting odds, we recommend betting on a surprise win for the Australian in the match between Nick Kyrgios and Daniil Medvedev
Nick Kyrgios – Statistics & current form
Current ranking in the world rankings: 115
Seeded position: unseeded
The 26-year-old Australian Nick Kyrgios has hardly taken part in Major tournaments in the last two years, not least because of the strict travel conditions in his home country.
When he did take part, such as at the Roger’s Cup 2021 or the US Open 2021, he was completely out of form and failed directly in round one. The former world number 13 has fallen correspondingly low in the rankings.
Back to the top in the world at the Grand Slam in his home country?
Now, however, the enfant terrible of the ATP Tour could attack the top ranks of the ATP World Ranking again with a strong run at the Grand Slam tournament in his home country, for which he needs a good run.
In the first round, Nick Kyrgios once again showed all facets of what makes him tick. With some brilliant tennis, he defeated qualifier Liam Broady 3-0, but once again flirted with his “bad boy” image, for example when he drank beer from a spectator’s cup after the match.
Won both encounters with Daniil Medvedev
It is clear that the Australian does not have to hide from any player on the ATP Tour. Not for nothing is the gifted 26-year-old only the third player ever to beat Novak Djokovic as well as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the first time directly in their first meeting.
Against this backdrop, Nick Kyrgios’ betting on his progress against Daniil Medvedev is by no means wild speculation. He may now meet the world number two and reigning US Open champion. However, he has beaten the Russian in both of their previous duels.
Daniil Medvedev – Statistics & current form
Current ranking in the world: 2
Position in the seedings: 2
Daniil Medvedev, a 25-year-old Russian, has emphatically clung to the top of the ATP World Rankings for the past three years.
After winning his first major title at the 2020 ATP Finals, his latest crowning achievement came in his third attempt at the 2021 US Open final when he dismantled Novak Djokovic 3-0 in the final to emerge as Grand Slam champion
A year ago already in the final of the Australian Open
A year ago Daniil Medvedev finally stormed into the final Down Under, where he first had to concede defeat to the Djoker with 0:3.
However, his performance at the ATP Cup, when he suffered a surprising 1-2 defeat against Ugo Humbert in the group phase, shows that he is far from successful. But he was back to his old self in his easy 3-0 opening win at the Australian Open.
79% of all first serves converted into points
The bookmakers also see the Russian as the favourite in the second round.
All the more will depend on whether he can once again rely on his serve in this high-profile second round match. In the opening match, he hit ten aces and scored 79% of the time when his first serve reached the opponent’s court. Nevertheless, he offered Henri Laaksonen a total of five break points, but his Swiss opponent could only convert one of them.
Nick Kyrgios – Daniil Medvedev Direct comparison / H2H record
Head to head: 2:0
There have already been two clashes between the two players and in both cases the eccentric Nick Kyrgios prevailed. The two athletes even played out a singles title in Washington in 2019, when the Australian came out on top in two straight sets.
Nick Kyrgios – Daniil Medvedev Tip
When it comes to Nick Kyrgios against Daniil Medvedev, the prediction basically goes in the direction of the Russian, who starts the Australian Open as the top seed after two spectacular years with a total of two Major titles (ATP Finals 2020 and US Open 2021). Nevertheless, his opponent in the second round could hardly be more unpleasant, as the Russian is still winless against Nick Kyrgios in two duels so far.
A lot will certainly depend on the Australian “enfant terrible’s” form on the day and his enthusiasm for the game. If the Russian manages to unnerve him, it could go very quickly. However, if Nick Kyrgios plays himself into a frenzy, the first sensation in this year’s men’s singles could happen just as quickly.
