Korda against Vukic, Machac against Opelka

Sebastian Korda will seek his first ATP Tour win against Aleksandar Vukic when the second round of the Australian Open begins on Wednesday. The American Reilly Opelka will also be in action against the upstart Tomas Machac.

(22) Sebastian Korda versus Aleksandar Vukic

Australian Aleksandar Vukic defeated Sebastian Korda in his only previous ATP Tour match, a close three-set match at the Toronto Masters in 2023 when the Australian qualified. Vukic finished the 2024 season in impressive fashion after limping through the first half of the season. He reached the semi-finals in Almaty and the semi-finals at Taipai Challenger. He is ranked No. 68 in the world, slightly below his career high of No. 48. Vukic suffered an arduous five-set win against Damir Dzumhur on Monday.

Korda had a fantastic start to the 2025 season in Adelaide last week. The American reached the final, where he lost a three-set loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime. Although Vukic will count on the support of his hometown crowd, Korda will have to get the nod in this match. While he did not achieve any significant success at the majors, Korda achieved his best result among the four tournaments in Melbourne (quarterfinals 2023). He secured his place in the second round with a four-set win over Lukas Klein, maintaining last week’s momentum.

Cheryl Pick: Korda in 4

Ricky selection: Vukic in 5

(26) Tomas Machac vs. Reilly Opelka

A fully healthy Reilly Opelka would make this game a surprise to keep an eye on. Unfortunately, the overweight American is once again not completely fit. Opelka, sidelined for almost two years due to hip and wrist injuries (and a recovery from surgery), made an impression in Brisbane a few weeks ago – particularly with his surprise win over Novak Djokovic. However, in the final against Jiri Lehecka he had to give up due to wrist problems.

Opelka recorded a rain-related four-set win over Gauthier Onclin in the first round and claimed in his post-match interview that he was “doing well.” The problem for Opelka is that Tomas Machac is much more successful than the 239th Onclin. In a promising 2024, Machac capped his year by reaching the semi-finals in Shanghai. He will still have to contend with Opelka’s monstrous first serve in this match, but the world No. 25 should be well placed to advance.

Cheryl Pick: Machac in 4

Ricky selection: Machac in 5