The 2022 Australian Open rolls on and SportsTips.com are previewing the best six games of each round. Read below to check out our picks for the three best men’s and three best women’s games for Round 2 of the 2022 Australian Open!
We are now into the second round of the Australian Open and boy are there some interesting matchups. Who will take out the championship game in the men’s and women’s draw? There have been a few upsets in the opening round, and there are sure to be more in this round.
Enjoy our free tennis picks and predictions for each round of the 2022 Australian Open tournament.
Round 2 Tennis Picks For The Australian Open: Men’s Draw
Yannick Hanfmann vs Rafael Nadal (6)
German qualifier, Yannick Hanfmann, faces a tough task in the second round of the Australian Open, as he will meet none other than Rafael Nadal. After making it through three rounds of qualifying, Hanfmann successfully navigated his way through local hero, Kokkinakis, in straight sets. It was also easy work for Nadal, who beat American, Giron, in straight sets.
Denis Kirilov
Rafael Nadal continues his journey towards a record 21st title from Grand Slam with a match against the qualifier, Yannick Hanfmann. The 30-year-old German hasn’t lost a set since his first match against Jason Jung when he was defeated in a tiebreak. Everyone was expecting to see a fantastic clash between the World No. 6 and Thanasi Kokkinakis in the Second Round of this Australian Open, but Hanfmann took advantage of the Aussie’s exhaustion and won the match without any troubles. Yannick has a fantastic forehand that can disarm every single defence on the ATP Tour, but it is quite a risky one. His serve is up-to-date as he is able to put his opponent in a difficult situation with a decent placement.
Rafael Nadal is still yet to lose a set this year. He has been merciless throughout the three matches he played in a tournament in Melbourne and he took off in the Australian Open with a dominant victory over the American, Marco Giron – 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. The Spaniard knows perfectly well that even without Novak Djokovic, there are plenty of other obstacles ahead of him, so he will play match by match. Hanfmann might be the last easy opponent for Nadal as he will most likely face only seeded players from now on. The 35-year-old “King of Clay” is past his prime, but he remains amongst the most difficult opponents in the ATP Tour. His defensive playing style is remarkable as it requires a lot of physique, endurance, and stamina. I think that he will make the most out of the fact that he will face a player who is making his breakthrough at 30 years of age and will wrap up the match in straight sets.
Denis’ Australian Open Pick: Set Betting – Nadal 3-0 (-250)
Katherine Mouradian
Both men have been looking sharp on the court in their opening games, with Hanfmann and Nadal winning in straight sets. Nadal was doing everything right, and it was enough to sail past Giron. Nadal didn’t give any indication of lingering issues with his foot, so he is certainly a force to be reckoned with in this Grand Slam. Hanfmann achieved his first ever victory in a Grand Slam last time out, after taking out Australian, Kokkinakis. Hanfmann comes in with a lot of confidence, as he played very well at the Adelaide International 2.
Priceless wisdom from @RafaelNadal. 💙 pic.twitter.com/2HQIRaSFlE
— Tennis Channel International (@TennisChanneli) January 13, 2022
The pair have played each other once before, and no surprises here, Nadal leads that tally, 1-0. It is clear with the ranking and experience difference that Nadal comes into this one as the favorite. Nadal is lethal on the first serve, and he is clearly the better player. I’ll go with the safe option here and pick Nadal to win in straight sets.
Katherine’s Australian Open Pick: Set Betting – Nadal 3-0 (-250)
Jack Hartman
Rafa Nadal cruised through into Round 2 of this year’s tournament by breezing past American Marcos Giron in straight sets. It was the ideal opening match for Nadal who is looking to secure only his second Australian Open title. He comes up against Yannick Hanfmann in Round 2 in what looks like another dream match up on paper. Hanfmann ranked just outside the world’s 120, had to go through qualifying, and beat Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in Round 1 to set up this opportunity against Nadal but the German is in great form.
In the four matches he has played at Melbourne Park, Hanfmann has just dropped the one set which came in the second round of qualifying. However, this is a different challenge altogether! Hanfmann and Nadal have similar playing styles but Nadal just does it better and should be able to dictate proceedings with his heavier groundstrokes. The two have met once previously and Nadal ran out a comfortable winner in straight sets and I think we will see a similar outcome here.
Jack’s Australian Open Pick: Set Betting – Nadal 3-0 (-250)
Alexander Zverev (3) vs John Millman
Alexander Zverev has successfully made it into the second round of the Australian Open, defeating Altmaier in straight sets (albeit, two of the sets went to a tie break). Australian hopeful, John Millman, took four sets to outclass veteran López, but will face a steep battle coming up against the third seeded German.
Denis Kirilov
Alexander Zverev will face one of the favourites of the home crowd, John Millman. The Aussie became well-known on the ATP Tour following his Quarter-Final in the 2018 US Open. On his path to his only second week in a Grand Slam, he managed to defeat the likes of Fabio Fognini and Roger Federer. His best result in Australia came from 2016 and 2020 when he reached the third round after taking down other big names like Hubert Hurkacz and Diego Schwartzman. His playing style is typical for a 6’0’’ tennis-player. Millman plays a right-handed two-handed backhand that is quite safe, but it can be deadly in certain moments as well. His serve is decent, but it is far from being his biggest asset at the moment. The Aussie outplayed the veteran on the ATP Tour, Feliciano Lopez, in the first round after a tough 4-set battle.
Alexander Zverev managed to elevate his game in recent years by minimising the errors he has been making on serve in the most clutch moments in a match. This had a huge benefit for the German who returned to the top 3 after a couple of years bouncing up and down in the bottom half of top 10. He missed a fantastic opportunity to win his maiden Grand Slam at 2020 US Open when he was serving for the title against Dominic Thiem, but cracked under pressure. He went on to make the Semi-Finals at the French Open the following year and equaled his best result in Wimbledon exiting in the fourth round. He wrapped up the season with a gold from the Olympics in Tokyo and with his second victory in the ATP Finals in Turin. The 24-year-old is still young and it’s definitely a good thing that he changed something in his game already. He will once again rely much on his groundstrokes as he will try to wear down Millman as early as possible. I think we might see a close first set, but if Zverev manages to win it, then the remaining part should be a piece of cake for him. I am going to go with a win for the German in straight sets.
Denis’ Australian Open Pick: Set Betting – Zverev 3-0 (-190)
Katherine Mouradian
It’s full steam ahead for Zverev, who was good enough to get through to the second round in this Grand Slam, in straight sets. Zverev is also currently the second favorite to win the entire thing, behind Medvedev. The Olympic gold medalist will be confident of his chances to make the third round after his recent performances. Millman had a bit of a tricky task in the first round, but it certainly helped being in front of his home crowd, and he will be looking for more of the same again in this match. Millman has struggled a bit recently, and also tends to not make it into the second round of Grand Slams either.
Zverev and Millman have played twice before, and it is the German who leads that tally, 2-0. When it comes to who is going to win this match, it should come as no surprise that I’m going to pick Zverev. But I do think that the Australian might be able to pinch a set of the third seed, so I’ll be taking the over.
Katherine’s Australian Open Pick: Total Sets – Over 3.5 (+138)
Jack Hartman
Round One was perfect for Alexander Zverev, the big hitting German was pushed all the way by his German compatriot Daniel Altmaier, with Zverev emerging victorious in straight sets but winning two of those sets via a tie-break. He got the job done but would have appreciated the test. Zverev’s game seems to be in fine working order and what was impressive in his opening round victory was that he never looked panicked. He looks like a man in complete control of his game and he looks primed for a deep run this year.
His opponent in this round is Australian John Millman. The gritty Millman has had his struggles of late and now finds himself ranked all the way down at 89 in the world. Millman overcame Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez in the first round winning in four sets. His game is based on just being incredibly solid off the ground, he rarely makes mistakes and if his opponent is having a tough day, Millman can make him pay. The two have met previously at a Grand Slam with Zverev winning in five sets at the 2019 French Open. Zverev is by far the better player but he will need to be fully firing to emerge victorious here.
Jack’s Australian Open Pick: Set Betting – Zverev 3-0 (-190)
Steve Johnson vs Jannik Sinner (11)
The American, Steve Johnson will face off against Italian, Jannik Sinner, in Round 2 of the Australian Open. Johnson is coming off a mammoth five-setter, after defeating Australian Thompson in the first round. Things were a lot easier for Sinner, as he defeated Sousa in straight sets.
Denis Kirilov
One of the most interesting matchups for the Second Round in Men’s Singles puts up Steve Johnson against Jannik Sinner. The 20-year-old Italian prospect enjoyed a fantastic 2021 season. He reached his first Masters 1000 Final and won his maiden title from ATP 500 at Citi Open in Washington D.C. This helped him make his debut into top 10 and qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin. He came agonisingly close to getting out of the Group Stage, but after two missed match points against Daniil Medvedev he remained 3rd in the Standings. He hasn’t lost a match since November and in 2022 he is yet to lose a set. In his opening round of the 2022 Australian Open, Sinner defeated Joao Sousa who put up a good fight in the first two sets, but came up just short on both occasions. The comparisons with Roger Federer’s playing style have been chasing Sinner from a very early age. His forehand and backhand are equally strong, but his two-handed backhand is definitely his secret weapon. The topspin he applies to it is unparalleled on the ATP Tour which regularly transfers into a winner.
Steve Johnson is the opposite type of player. The American relies much on his serve and not so much on his performance throughout the rallies. Johnson has been struggling to get past the first round at the Australian Open for three years in a row, but he managed to put an end to that streak with a victory over Jordan Thompson this season. He was forced to play five sets and spent 3:44 hours on the court which can definitely have a negative impact on his future performance. The 32-year-old will try to cause one of the biggest upsets in his career as he will face Yannik Sinner who is on a 7-match winning streak. Johnson, on the other hand, enjoyed a somewhat good start this year as he heads into this matchup on a 5-2 run. However, a couple of these matches were qualifications and first rounds, but he still managed to overcome players like Tiago Monteiro, Alex Bolt, and Aleksander Vukic. In my opinion, Sinner should be able to cruise past the American in high fashion and in straight sets.
Denis’ Australian Open Pick: Set Betting – Sinner 3-0 (-125)
Katherine Mouradian
What a match it was from the American! After going two sets to one down, Johnson showed just what he was made of, and eventually won in a five-setter. During that match, there was a lot of talk about Johnson carrying a little niggle, so a five set match certainly wouldn’t have helped. Sinner kicked off his Australian Open campaign in style, only dropping 10 games on his way to the second round. The 20 year old hot shot is searching for his first Grand Slam, and this just might be his first real opportunity, with a lot of other major players not making the trip to Australia (or getting turned around at the airport).
Jannik Sinner, now the only top 10 in his eight of the draw, into R2. Very good two first sets from João Sousa, who I believe will be back on top 100 soon. pic.twitter.com/en4y5qBMIL
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 18, 2022
The pair have played each other twice before, and it is Sinner who leads the way, 2-0. Both men are coming into this game on some pretty decent form, Johnson is 5-2 for the year so far, and Sinner is 4-0. But with Johson’s potential injury and the fact that he has just played a five set match, I’m just not sure he can compete with Sinner. Give me Sinner to win in straight sets
Katherine’s Australian Open Pick: Set Betting – Sinner 3-0 (-125)
Jack Hartman
It was always going to be a battle but Steve Johnson just outlasted Jordan Thompson to sneak through in five sets to set up a second round match against Italian Jannik Sinner. It was a monumental effort for the big serving American to come back from a 2-1 deficit against Thompson and you have to wonder how much is left in the tank for this match. Jannik Sinner breezed through to the second round with a straight set victory over Joao Sousa from Portugal.
It was a victory that set up the opportunity for Sinner to advance to the third round for the very first time in Melbourne Park. This is a matchup between two players with vastly different playing styles. Sinner is by far the better player off the ground and will look to make inroads into Johnson’s service games. For Johnson to have any chance he needs to serve well and provide enough variety to throw Sinner off his game. Johnson through his serve has the opportunity to keep the sets tight and there could be a few nervy moments for Sinner but he should have more than enough class to prevail here.
Jack’s Australian Open Pick: Set Betting – Sinner 3-1 (+240)
Round 2 Tennis Picks For The Australian Open: Women’s Draw
Bernarda Pera vs Jessica Pegula (21)
An all-American matchup that will see at least one American woman in the third round of the Australian Open. Pera made fairly light work of her opponent in the first round, Alexandrova, winning in straight sets. Whereas, Pegula had to come back from a set down to take the victory against Kalinina.
Denis Kirilov
Bernarda Pera started off her Australian Open journey with a victory in straight sets over Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round. This is undoubtedly her favourite Grand Slam tournament, despite her good performance on clay as well. She reached the third round in Melbourne in 2018 which marks her biggest progress in a Grand Slam. The American will chase yet another victory here as she is looking to make her return into the top 100. She can quite easily adapt to the playing style of her opponent, but she failed to be consistent with her game. The Croatian-born tennis player developed a left-handed two-handed backhand that has been a problem to some of their opponents who are not used to playing against lefties. Pera has all the capabilities and qualities to become a top 50 player, if she remains consistent throughout the year.
Jessica Pegula enjoyed a fabulous 2021 season on the WTA Tour as she reached World No. 18 by the end of the year. The American made it to the Quarter-Finals at the Australian Open and topped her best results in the other Grand Slam tournaments. Pegula, however, started off the current season in a more hesitant way following two straight losses to Irina Begu and Caroline Garcia. She managed to get past Anna Kalinina in the first round in Melbourne after nearly a 3-hour battle. Pegula made a spectacular comeback as she was more efficient and accurate in the most important parts of the second and third sets. She has elevated her game to a whole new level this past year, but it seems that she is struggling at the moment. However, I am going to trust her to squeeze into the third round after yet another tough encounter against Bernarda Pera. I think Pegula will once again win in 3 sets.
Denis’ Australian Open Pick: Set Betting – Pegula 2-1 (+280)
Katherine Mouradian
Personally, I love seeing all-American contests, just because it means that there is at least one American who will be in the third round. Coming off two losses to kick off her 2022 campaign, Pegula finally got on the board with a three set win in the first round of the Australian Open. She was made to work hard for it though, with the match going for almost 3 hours. Pera is currently ranked 105th in the world, but she is certainly playing like a top 100 player at the very least. She won her opening round with ease, and will be looking to continue her winning ways in the second round.
Surprisingly, the pair have never played each other before, so there is a little bit of unknown coming into this one. Looking at their stats from the first game, and in their recent form, I think this is going to be a close one. I would pick that this match will go to 3 sets, and also go over the total set for the number of games.
Katherine’s Australian Open Pick: Total Games – Over 21 (-106)
Jack Hartman
A matchup between two solid American players awaits us in Round 2 as Bernarda Pera and Jessica Pegula are set to lock horns. Both had to overcome Eastern European players to progress this far with Pera pulling off the upset by beating Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets. While Pegula had to battle from a set down to Anhelina Kalinina from Ukraine. Pegula is ranked just outside the world’s top 20 and announced herself to the world at last year’s Australian Open by reaching the quarterfinals. Pegula is a rock solid player who has a great all round game. She is always a tough nut to crack and starts as a worthy favourite here.
Pera has dropped outside of the world’s top 100 and really struggled last year, posting several disappointing results. She returns to the second round at the Australian Open for the third time in her career but has never advanced beyond this stage. To stand any chance of pulling off the upset she needs to take advantage of Pegula’s serve, it’s the weakness in her game and Pera can take advantage of it. This is a match that could be really competitive but I think Pegula should have enough to advance into round 3.
Jack’s Australian Open Pick: Set Betting – Pegula 2-0 (-105)
Madison Brengle vs Naomi Osaka (13)
American Madison Brengle will face a tough opponent in the second round, when she squares off against Naomi Osaka. Brengle won her first round match via walkover, but the match was pretty much done anyway, with the American needing one more game in the third set for victory. Osaka enjoyed an easy and uneventful match in the first round, defeating Osorio in straight sets.
Denis Kirilov
Madison Brengle will have a really tough task in Melbourne as she will face Naomi Osaka who made her long-awaited return the previous week. The defending champion had a tough second part of 2021 which made her drop down to World No. 14. She has been battling mental health issues as it remains uncertain whether she managed to get over it. However, with all the fame she has gathered throughout the last couple of years in WTA, it’s quite understandable to not be able to withstand all the pressure from the press and the fans. This year promises to be different for her as she started off with three straight wins against Alize Cornet, Maryna Zanevska, and Andrea Petkovic reaching the Semi-Finals from which she decided to withdraw in order to focus on the upcoming Grand Slam. In the first round of the Australian Open, Osaka cruised past Maria Osorio Serrano, in a game that took just a bit over the one-hour mark – 6-3, 6-3.
Madison Brengle was involved in one of the strangest matches in recent times in her first round of the Australian Open. She won the first set against Dayana Yastremska 6-1, but she conceded a huge downfall in her performance in the second set, losing it without winning a single game. Brengle eventually took off in the third set and grabbed a 5-0 lead before the Ukrainian decided to retire from the match. On top of that, Brengle played so defensively that she ended up having just one winner throughout the three sets. The American benefited from Yastremska’s 60 unforced errors which made the difference in the end. This was actually her second match in a row with a retirement as Brengle was forced to withdraw against Alison Riske in the Quarter-Finals in Adelaide. I doubt that Brengle will be able to put up a good fight against her compatriot and that’s why I will suggest picking the option for “under games” in this second round meeting.
Denis’ Australian Open Pick: Total Games – Under 19 (-110)
Katherine Mouradian
The 2021 Australian Open champion was as clinical as they come in the first round, as she defeated Osorio, 6-3, 6-3. After taking some time for her mental health, it looks like Osaka has come back firing, but it is still soon to say how she is coping mentally. Although, as she is only seeded 13th, she will likely face off against some tough competition earlier then she would have hoped. Her competition in the second round will be American, Brengle, who had a longer first round game, despite it ending in a walkover. Brengle has been around the Grand Slam arena for a while, and even managed to make the fourth round of the Australian Open back in 2015.
One of the most iconic box scores you’ll ever see. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/0E2LsbHNeA
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) January 17, 2022
The pair have played each other once before, and it is surprisingly Brengle that leads the tally, 1-0. Brengle won 6-2, 6-2 against Osaka, but that was all the way back in 2013, and as we all know, a lot has changed since then. The way Osaka performed in her opening match, I would be surprised to see anything other than a straight set victory.
Katherine’s Australian Open Pick: Set Betting Osaka 2-0 (-300)
Jack Hartman
Despite having to overcome an absence of much of 2021, Naomi Osaka looked right at home in Round 1 overcoming a tricky first round against Maria Camilla Osorio Serrano in straight sets. Osaka, twice a winner at Melbourne Park and the defending champion looked to have put the troubles of 2021 firmly behind her and will now have her sights set on a third Australian Open title. You could argue that she is the best player on hard courts on the WTA Tour and if she is on her game will be mightily hard to beat.
However, this is a real test and she comes up against a tricky opponent in the form of American Madison Brengle. Brengle is a vastly experienced player and although she has nowhere near the power of her Japanese opponent, she has the versatility and variety in her game to cause Osaka problems. The two have never faced off against each other and Many will be wanting to see where Osaka’s game is at – if Osaka can overcome Brengle sufficiently she has to be considered a major contender for this title.
Jack’s Australian Open Pick: Set Betting Osaka 2-0 (-300)
Alizé Cornet vs Garbiñe Muguruza (3)
Both Alizé Cornet and Garbiñe Muguruza enjoyed fairly easy victories in their respective opening rounds. Cornet was up against Tomova, and was clearly a class above, winning 6-3, 6-3. Muguruza was good enough to dispatch Burel, 6-3, 6-4.
Denis Kirilov
Alize Cornet has started off her journey in the 2022 Australian Open with a victory over Viktoriya Tomova in straight sets – 6-3, 6-3. She took revenge for her loss against the Bulgarian at a tournament in Osaka in 2019. With this win, the French managed to put an end to her 3-match losing streak as she was defeated by Riske, Osaka, and Parrizas-Diaz. The 31-year-old Cornet will try to make her return to WTA after a disappointing 2021 season. Currently sitting in 61st place in the world, Alize will try to get past the third round of the Australian Open for the first time since 2018. Her best result dates back to 2009 when she was consistent enough to reach the fourth round.
After winning the French Open in 2016 and Wimbledon in 2017, Garbine Muguruza has been struggling in recent years despite reaching the 2020 Australian Open Final when she lost to Sofia Kenin in three sets. The Spanish tennis player found her way back into the top 10 as she even wrapped up the year being World No. 3. Muguruza won her maiden WTA Finals in Zapopan, Mexico, after defeating Anett Kontaveit in straight sets – 6-3, 7-5. Her journey in Melbourne took off with a tough opener against Clara Burel as Garbine missed three match points and was forced to play 15 minutes more in the end. However, she kept her composure and qualified for the second round as she spent just under an hour and a half on the court. I think, however, she will suffer more against Alize Cornet who is experienced enough to punish her mistakes and to force her to concede a lot of unforced errors. My pick here is for “over 2.5 sets”.
Denis’ Australian Open Pick: Total Sets – Over 2.5 (+192)
Katherine Mouradian
Both these women have a lot of experience under their belts and they are certainly going to need it to gain the victory in this round. But who’s experience will help them get across the line here? Muguruza looked a tad shaky at times, I’m just going to put that down to first round nerves, and she needs to play at a higher level if she wants to beat Cornet. Cornet has fairly solid success here, but looking at her first round match, she will need to improve on her first serve.
Interestingly, the pair’s head-to-head is currently all squared up at 2-2, with Cornet actually winning their last encounter, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5). With their head-to-head even and their last game going the distance, I think that no one will have the ability to get a strangle-hold on this match. The best bet for me will be the over sets.
Katherine’s Australian Open Pick: Total Sets – Over 2.5 (+192)
Jack Hartman
A fiery encounter awaits us here as third seed Garbine Muguruza locks horns with Alize Cornet from France. Both advanced to this stage courtesy of straight set wins in Round 1 and this should be an entertaining match up. Despite being a multiple Grand Slam champion, Muguruza often flies under the radar at these events but she is in fine form. The winner of the WTA Tour finals, Muguruza will be looking to win at Melbourne for the first time. She has one of the best all court games in the women’s game and when her game is fully firing she is incredibly hard to beat, however against Cornet she is going to have to fight all the way.
Alize Cornet has forged a career through battling hard and there is arguably no more fierce competitor on the WTA Tour than the fiery Frenchwoman. Cornet has variety and vast experience, and she knows how to win matches. Her serve can be a bit of a weakness as well as her lack of power, but if her opponent is just a little off, Cornet has the ability to make them pay. This will be a tight match but one where the number three seed should advance.
Jack’s Australian Open Pick: Set Betting – Muguruza 2-1 (+310)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
