The Australian Open 2025 will kick-start with its first round matches on Sunday, January 12 as Arthur Fils, Jiri Lehecka and Aleksandar Vukic take to court for their openers. Here’s the preview, predictions and tips for these matches from Melbourne.
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Arthur Fils v Otto Virtanen Preview
Head-to-Head: While they have never faced off in a competitive match before this, Fils defeated Virtanen in a Challenger match in 2023.
Arthur Fils currently stands at the 20th rank in the world which is also his career-best. And that has been a vast improvement from where he was at the end of the 2022 season, two years ago.
Ranked 251st at that stage, Fils went on to win a title in Lyon on clay in 2023 and then added two more in 2024 – in Hamburg and Tokyo.
While Fils would have loved to have a better start to this season after having fallen in the quarterfinal at the Hong Kong Open earlier this month, he should not have a lot of problem taking down his 92nd-ranked opponent here.
Otto Virtanen hasn’t yet kick-started his season so far but what’s interesting to see is that he has not done too well on either clay or outdoor hardcourt surfaces.
Where Virtanen’s performances have catapulted is indoors and that could give him some hope if the courts remain really quick. Still, we expect Fils to come through but not before his opponent has given him a bit of a fight.
Fils v Virtanen prediction: Fils to win AND Both players to win a set: 1/1
Jiri Lehecka v Li Tu Preview
Head-to-Head: Lehecka and Tu have never faced off before this.
Jiri Lehecka is 250/1 to win the Australian Open which puts him outside any real contention to become a surprise winner here but given how he’s started the season, we can see him cause some issues to some of the top players in the competition.
The world number 24 won his career’s first title last year but has quickly followed it up with a second one in the very first week of this season. Featuring in the Brisbane International, Lehecka got the better of Holger Rune and Grigor Dimitrov on his way to the tournament win.
He was helped by injury-induced retirements on the way, sure, but this is the same player who had won the Adelaide International title last year. Clearly Aussie hardcourts suit him well, having also made the quarterfinal of the Australian Open in 2023.
Lehecka starts off with a relatively straightforward opener with Li Tu having made the main draw as a wildcard. He did upset James Duckworth in the first round in Adelaide but that has been the only main draw match he’s won this year.
Ranked 179th in the world, Tu will hope for a better result than his first round exits at all his previous Grand Slam appearances but that is hard to see happen.
Lehecka v Tu prediction: Lehecka to win in straight sets: 1/1
Adam Walton v Quentin Halys Preview
Head-to-Head: Walton and Halys have never faced off before.
Adam Walton’s entry into the main draw of the Australian Open is the second time in his career he’s done this but this time around he has a better shot at making it further.
For one, he’s a much improved player, having entered the tournament last year ranked outside the top 150 while having jumped up inside the top 100 this time.
Matteo Arnaldi, whom he faced last year, is a far tougher opponent than Quentin Halys this time, thanks in no small part to his own record in outdoor hardcourt competitions.
Halys participated in the Brisbane International earlier this season but had to retire from the match in the very first set of his opening qualifier. Fitness would be a bit of a question-mark too for him.
As a result, we are backing the underdog here – Walton to edge his opponent here.
Walton v Halys prediction: Walton to win: 7/10
Aleksandar Vukic v Damir Dzumhur Preview
Head-to-Head: Vukic and Dzumhur have never faced off before this.
World number 63 Aleksandar Vukic looked to have made a solid start to the season when he surprised David Goffin in the first round in Brisbane but things have fallen away a little since then.
Grigor Dimitrov knocked him out in the second round there and that was followed by a three-set loss to Marcos Giron in the first round of the Adelaide International.
Not that Damir Dzumhur has had it any better though with a second round loss at the Canberra Challenger followed by a qualifying defeat in Adelaide.
While Dzumhur has a solid record on clay, it’s not like he’s completely off the mark in hardcourt competitions. And what makes this an even battle is the manner in which Dzumhur has come back from being outside the top 150 since 2022 to his current 83rd rank.
He will put up a fight we think and we could see a longish battle here.
Vukic v Dzumhur prediction: Over 3.5 sets in the match: 3/4
Other Australian Open 2025 Predictions of the Day
- Hugo Gaston v Omar Jasika: Over 3.5 sets in the match: 3/5
