Australian Open 2023: Jannik Sinner vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (15) Jannik Sinner vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Date: 18 January 2023
Tournament: Australian Open 2023
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
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
Jannik Sinner vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry preview
15th seed Jannik Sinner will take on World No. 79 Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open on Wednesday.
Sinner was up against Kyle Edmund, a semifinalist here in 2018, in the first round. He went up an early break in the opening set to lead 4-2. He then held a set point on his opponent's serve in the ninth game, but the Brit dug deep to fend it off and hold serve. Nevertheless, the Italian clinched the set by serving it out in the next game.
The second set was quite one-sided, with Sinner dishing out a bagel to further extend his lead. He carried the momentum into the third set, racing to a 4-0 lead. Edmund displayed some signs of a fightback by claiming the next couple of games. The Italian broke his opponent's serve once again to go 5-2 up.
Sinner then stepped up to serve for the match. He blew five match points and needed to save a couple of break points as well before winning 6-4, 6-0, 6-2.
Etcheverry was drawn against Gregoire Barrere in the first round. He snagged an early break to go 3-1 up in the opening set and held on to the lead to claim it down the line. His opponent fought back by clinching the second set to level the proceedings.
Etcheverry needed five break points, but managed to break Barrere's serve at the start of the third set. He remained ahead for the rest of the set, eventually winning it as well. The duo traded service breaks early on in the fourth set, but remained evenly matched otherwise.
Etcheverry bagged the decisive break in the ninth game to go 5-4 up and then served out the match with ease to win 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. It was his first victory at the Grand Slam level.
Jannik Sinner vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry head-to-head
Sinner and Etcheverry have never squared off on the tour before. Hence, their head-to-head is tied at a 0-0 for now.
Jannik Sinner vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Jannik Sinner vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry prediction
Aside from a minor hiccup towards the very end, Sinner remained in complete control during his first-round contest. He served really well and dictated the points quite often. His forehand did most of the damage and ended up striking a total of 24 winners, while his unforced error count stood at 25.
Etcheverry will be pleased after securing his maiden Grand Slam victory. He was tested a fair bit in the previous round, but managed to come out on top in the end. His serve often bailed him out in tough moments, hitting 10 aces and doing well enough to withstand his opponent's barrage of winners.
However, Etcheverry will need to raise his level considerably against Sinner. For the latter, this should be a relatively easy match-up. The Argentine is still rather inexperienced at the ATP level and going toe-to-toe with higher-ranked players will be a tall order for him. The young Italian should safely progress to the next round.
Pick: Jannik Sinner to win in straight sets.