The 2022 Australian Open rolls on and SportsTips.com are previewing all of the men’s semifinal action. Read below to check out our tennis picks for the games over the semifinal round!
We are now into the semifinals at the Australian Open and we could not be more excited. While there are no American men left in the draw, there are still some very exciting players that are certainly going to be worth staying up late for!
Enjoy our free tennis picks and predictions for each round of the 2022 Australian Open tournament.
Matteo Berrettini (7) vs Rafael Nadal (6)
The first semifinal will see Matteo Berrettini up against Rafael Nadal. Surprisingly, both men are coming off mammoth five set matches in their last round. Berrettini was up 2-0 against Monfils, but ended up losing the third and fourth sets, then eventually got back on track, winning the fifth and final set. Much like Berrettini, Nadal was up 2-0 against Shapovalov, but the Canadian mounted a comeback, winning the third and fourth sets. Nadal eventually won the final set, 6-3.
Denis Kirilov
Matteo Berrettini and Rafael Nadal survived two five-setters in the quarterfinals as they managed to take down Gael Monfils and Denis Shapovalov. The Italian was also forced into five sets in his third round match when he kept his 2-0 lead against the young Spanish prospect Carlos Alcaraz. His performance against Pablo Carreno Busta was simply something really extraordinary as he managed to hit 28 aces in 17 service games. He also ended up having 57 winners and just 27 unforced errors, winning 13 out of 17 points at the net. He also took a 2-0 lead against Monfils in the quarterfinals, but his performance took a hit in the third and fourth sets as he started making a lot of mistakes, thus allowing the French to erase his deficit. In the deciding part of the match, Berrettini proved once again that he deserves to be in the semifinal as he managed to keep his composure, conceding just 4 unforced errors throughout 43 crucial rallies.
Rafael Nadal’s biggest goal at the moment is reaching that record 21st Grand Slam title. The Spaniard knows that this task becomes harder and harder with years passing as this might be one of his last really good opportunities to achieve it. He almost suffered a loss after being 2-0 up in sets against Shapovalov, but Nadal somehow managed to close it out with fabulous defensive plays in the deciding fifth set. The Spanish battled out a stomach pain in the fourth part which was a concerning sign for his fans, but in the end, he got over it. However, Rafa’s schedule seemed a bit easier as he faced players like Manarino, Giron, and Hanfmann throughout the tournament, while the highest-ranked player among his opponents was really convenient for him as the high-risk playing style of Shapovalov would rarely stop Nadal. I think that Berrettini would be able to put up a decent fight on Friday in the first semifinal in men’s singles in Melbourne. On top of that, I would recommend picking the Italian to win the match as well the first set against Rafa who seems to have more and more problems in the second week at this year’s edition of the Australian Open.
Denis’ Australian Open Pick: To Win First Set & Match – Berrettini (+290)
“I deserve to be here. I feel it…I’m getting closer.”
Step-by-step, Matteo Berrettini is ascending to the top of the game and writing history along the way#AusOpen • #AO2022• #AOTennis
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2022
Jack Hartman
An intriguing match awaits us in the first of our semi final previews as 7th seed Matteo Berettini prepares to do battle against 6th seed Rafael Nadal. Both men had to endure five tough sets to advance and it will be interesting to see how they are holding up physically ahead of what is sure to be another bruising encounter. It was perhaps another sign that Rafael Nadal’s might be waning ever so slightly as he let go of a two set lead against Denis Shapovalov in the previous round, however Nadal showed some of his trademark fighting ability to emerge victorious in a thrilling fifth set. Nadal was quick to acknowledge after the match that he would need to recover from his exertions and it will be interesting to see if his troublesome foot, an injury that cut his 2021 season early is giving him any bother. Nadal, who has now won nine consecutive matches will be relieved to have made it this far following two consecutive quarter final defeats in 2020 and 2021.
Nadal will take confidence in the fact that he beat Berrettini in straight sets the last time these two squared off, more importantly it was in a Grand Slam, with Nadal’s comfortable win coming back at the 2019 US Open. Berettini is a much different player these days and has quickly established himself as one of the biggest hitters on Tour. Since his 2019 defeat to Nadal, Berrettini has reached the final of Wimbledon and this is his best ever run at Melbourne Park. Berrettini, like Nadal, has had his fair share of injury problems with the Italian missing significant time with an abdominal injury. What will concern fans of the Italian is that so far Berrettini is yet to have any particularly easy matches, he has lost a set in every round with the exception of one. He has also had two demanding matches that have gone deep into the fifth set. Nadal through his experience will start as the favourite and despite Nadal not having a great record in Australia, I will back him to win what is sure to be another fascinating clash.
Jack’s Australian Open Pick: Rafael Nadal (-210)
Stefanos Tsitsipas (4) vs Daniil Medvedev (2)
The Greek Freak is at it again, he barely broke a sweat in his last round, defeating Sinner in three easy sets. The same cannot be said for Daniil Medvedev, who was the first man in the 2022 Australian Open to come back from 0-2 sets down and win the game, with almost five hours spent on the court in his last game.
Denis Kirilov
Stefanos Tsitsipas found a way to squeeze into the semifinals at the 2022 Australian Open after dismantling Jannik Sinner in straight sets in the quarterfinals. He didn’t even give him a break-point opportunity in his 14 service game throughout the match. The Greek had been playing quite conservatively before that as he was forced into five sets against Taylor Fritz who was also leading 2-1 sets midway through their meeting. Tsitsipas also lost sets to Benoit Paire and Sebastian Baez which also suggested that he is not in the best possible condition in the beginning of 2022. Tsitsipas is well-known for his consistent performance in Melbourne as his aggressive playing style is quite beneficial on that particular surface. It seems that the Greek slowly, but surely finds his rhythm as he will also have the advantage of spending less time on the court in the quarterfinals than his opponent.
Daniil Medvedev had to go through hell against Felix Auger-Aliassime in order to reach his second semifinal at the Australian Open. Last year, he had a chance at winning the title, but came up short against Novak Djokovic in the final. This year, he is considered to be the top favourite to win it, but he has shown us that he is not unbeatable. The Russian had plenty of troubles against Auger-Aliassime as he was down 0-2 in sets for less than two hours on the court. He was struggling in his service games in the fifth set as well, but in the end, he saved all six break-point opportunities and won the match for just over 4 hours and 30 minutes on the court – 7-6, 6-4, 7-6, 7-5, 6-4. His unorthodox playing style once again helped him squeeze into the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament, meaning that he will further reduce the gap between himself and Novak Djokovic in the race for the top spot in the ATP Rankings. On top of that, Daniil leads 6-2 Tsitsipas in head-to-head matches as he took him down twice on hard courts in the Grand Slam tournaments. My pick here goes in his favour, but I think it will be a four set battle.
Denis’ Australian Open Pick: Set Betting – Medvedev 3-1 (+280)
What a match! 💪💪💪💪@AustralianOpen pic.twitter.com/YjiH0TdGaK
— Daniil Medvedev (@DaniilMedwed) January 26, 2022
Jack Hartman
Stefanos Tsitipas is continuing to prove his doubters wrong (which include this writer!) as the Greek star produced one of his best matches in a long time to beat rising talent Jannik Sinner in straight sets. Tsitsipas showed no sign of weariness from his previous five set epic against Taylor Fritz and used all of his class and experience to get the better of his young Italian compatriot. Like so many left in the men’s side of the draw, Tsitipas headed to Melbourne Park with some injury concerns but those concerns seem to have been put to one side following his victories so far in this tournament. Up until his straight set quarterfinal win, Tsitipas had lost at least one set in all of his previous rounds, so it is perhaps an ominous sign for the rest of the field that he seems to be playing his best tennis when it matters. He would have been looking on with glee as Daniil Medvedev went the distance before edging past Felix Auger-Alisiamme in five tough sets. Tsitipas will hope he has a slight physical edge before locking horns against the tricky Russian.
Daniil Medvedev had to use every ounce of his ability to emerge victorious over Felix Auger-Alisiamme. The Russian found himself 0-2 down against an inspired opponent but summoned something special within him to eventually grind out a five set win, in a match that will live long in his memory. Medvedev, despite still being my favourite for the tournament, hasn’t been as dominant as many expected and has had some tough matches. Losing sets to Nick Kyrgios and Maxime Cressy have been surprising. As he looks to reach his second successive Australian Open final, Medvedev certainly has no easy task. It isn’t a surprise to see that both of these players who have been so dominant on Tour for a number of years have faced each other eight times, with three of these coming at Grand Slams. Medvedev wins the head to head series 6-2, but Tsitsipas has won two of the last three. These two met at the exact same stage of the tournament last year with the Russian winning in three sets, and although I expect the match to be tighter I have to side with Medvedev to repeat the feat again. It could be another classic but I think Medvedev wins 3-1.
Jack’s Australian Open Pick: Set Betting – Medvedev 3-1 (+280)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
