Australian Open 2022: Roberto Bautista Agut vs Philipp Kohlschreiber preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (15) Roberto Bautista Agut vs Philipp Kohlschreiber
Date: 20 January 2022.
Tournament: Australian Open 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 64).
Venue: Melbourne, Australia.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.
Match timing: Approx. 2.30 p.m. local time, 3.30 a.m. GMT, 9 a.m. IST
Prize money: $75,000,000.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Six, Sony Liv.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Philipp Kohlschreiber preview
15th seed Roberto Bautista Agut will square off against veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round of the 2022 Australian Open on Thursday.
Bautista Agut won 7-6(2), 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 against Stefano Travaglia in the first round to kickstart his campaign in Melbourne. The Spaniard fell at the opening hurdle last year, so he would have been relieved to make it through on Tuesday.
Bautista Agut has been in fine form this year. He performed well at the ATP Cup, winning four matches and losing just once to Felix Auger-Aliassime in his singles tie in the final. His best showing at the Australian Open has been a quarterfinal appearance in 2019.
4 sets? No biggie😎
@BautistaAgut defeated Stefano Travaglia 7-6 6-4 5-7 6-1 in the #AusOpen
#AO2022 https://t.co/WpLlhYDVbH
Philipp Kohlschreiber defeated 2018 Roland Garros semifinalist Marco Cecchinato 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(0) to progress to the second round. The 38-year old is still a force to be reckoned with on the tour, going toe-to-toe with several of his younger opponents.
Competing in his 68th Grand Slam, the German never looked in any sort of trouble during the match. He will now attempt to reach the third round of the Australian Open for the first time since 2017.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Philipp Kohlschreiber head-to-head
The two have played five times previously, with Kolschreiber leading 3-2 in head-to-head. He won their last encounter 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 at the 2018 Madrid Open.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Philipp Kohlschreiber prediction
Roberto Bautista Agut will be the favorite to win this clash given his superior ranking and current form. But it would be unwise to count Kohlschreiber out completely.
The German's serve is still a huge asset. This was evident in his first-round match where he hit 10 aces and won 89% of his first-serve points. His game is also complemented by solid baseline play.
Bautista Agut's consistency often allows him to outlast his opponents. His movement around the court is far superior to that of the German. While he tends to play defensive tennis for the most part, he has the ability to switch up his tactics and dictate play when the opportunity arises. The Spaniard should be able to counter Kohlschreiber's game to notch up another win in Melbourne.
Prediction: Roberto Bautista Agut to win in four sets.
Also check out: Updated WTA WoMen's Tennis Rankings