Australian Open 2023: Grigor Dimitrov vs Aslan Karatsev preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (27) Grigor Dimitrov vs Aslan Karatsev
Date: 17 January 2023
Tournament: Australian Open 2023
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: A$76,500,000
Live telecast: USA - ESPN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Six, Sony Ten & Sony Liv
Grigor Dimitrov vs Aslan Karatsev preview
Grigor Dimitrov will face off against Aslan Karatsev in the first round of the 2023 Australian Open on Tuesday.
Dimitrov had a few good results last year, but he has done way better in the past. in 2022, a third-round appearance at the French Open was the furthest he went at the Majors. Aside from that, a semifinal showing at the Monte-Carlos Masters and a quarterfinal at the Indian Wells Masters were his best results.
Dimitrov participated in the inaugural United Cup to begin the new season. He lost a close three-set tussle against Stefanos Tsitsipas, but managed to defeat David Goffin in straight sets. That was the end of the road for him, as Bulgaria failed to make it past the group stage. A former semifinalist at the Australian Open, he'll be aiming for a better showing in Melbourne once again.
Karatsev started 2022 with a title-winning run at the Sydney Tennis Classic, defeating former World No. 1 Andy Murray in the final. He made it to the third round of the Australian Open after that, but lost to Adrian Mannarino. Following that defeat, he managed to win 11 more matches over the course of the season.
Karatsev commenced the new year by competing in the Tata Open Maharashtra, where he advanced to the semifinals. The Russian made his breakthrough at the Australian Open in 2021, making it all the way to the last four, which remains his best Grand Slam result to date.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Aslan Karatsev head-to-head
The two have split their previous couple of meetings evenly to tie the head-to-head at 1-1. Dimitrov won their last match at the 2021 San Diego Open in three sets.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Aslan Karatsev odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Grigor Dimitrov vs Aslan Karatsev prediction
Both are former semifinalists in Melbourne and know what it takes to make a deep run here. Karatsev has a bit more oomph in his shots compared to Dimitrov, but the latter is able to neutralize it with his versatality on the court. However, the Russian is objectively a better server when things are working out for him.
Karatsev lost a little bit of the momentum that propelled him to stardom in 2021. He's taken plenty of losses over the last year, but enters this contest after a strong start to the year. Dimitrov, too, played at a decent level in both of his matches at the United Cup.
Their very first meeting took place at the Australian Open itself a couple of years ago. Dimitrov won the first set, but Karatsev stormed back to emerge victorious in four sets. This is likely to be a close encounter, with the Bulgarian having a slight edge to come out on top in the end.
Pick: Grigor Dimitrov to win in five sets.