Australian Open: Korda vs Garin Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Australian Open as Sebastian Korda takes on Cristian Garin in the Round of 128 on Monday, January 16, 2023.

Sebastian Korda will be heavily favored to win his opening round at the Australian Open when he takes on Cristian Garin. Korda is seen as one of the dark horses to win the tournament, how will he react under pressure?

Sebastian Korda came very close to ending his title drought, holding a match point against Novak Djokovic in the Adelaide final a couple of weeks but fell just short. Indeed, just short. That’s a statement we have become accustomed to writing when we talk of Djokovic who showed remarkable resilience to claw his way back into the match and denied Korda his second ATP title. But nevertheless, the American is moving in the right direction and he’s got his swagger back. Will he get his Australian Open campaign off to a winning start against Cristian Garin?

Cristian Garin, meanwhile, started his 2023 season playing at the Noumea Challenger. He reached the quarterfinals at the event, losing to Italy’s Raul Brancaccio in three sets. The Chilean is looking to rediscover the form that took him to the upper echelons of the sport just a couple of years back. Last year, Garin was generally inconsistent and was blighted by multiple niggling injuries and is now inching closer to a Top 100 exit. Could he cause the biggest upset of the day?

Sebastian Korda leads Cristian Garin 1-0 in the head-to-head. The American won that match on the grass in Halle last year. We know the qualities that Garin brings to the table. He is a former Top 20 player and can at times play some good tennis on any court. But he is clearly struggling with confidence right now and his game is miles away from where he needs it to be. Expect an in-form Korda to blast his way into the second round of the 2023 Australian Open.