Australian Open: J.J. Wolf vs Mmoh Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Australian Open as J.J. Wolf takes on Michael Mmoh in the third round on Saturday, January 21, 2023.

A massive opportunity lies in waiting for one of J.J. Wolf and Michael Mmoh. The two Americans will battle for a spot in the fourth round of the Australian Open. Who will prevail?

J.J. Wolf notched one of the best wins of his career after knocking out World No. 23 Diego Schwartzmann 6-1 6-4 6-4 to progress into the third round of the Australian Open. It wasn’t a bad day for American tennis despite losing its top-ranked player Taylor Fritz to early elimination, as five Americans advanced, including Wolf’s next opponent Michael Mmoh.

Michael Mmoh, for his part, scored a stunning upset on Thursday, beating Germany’s Alexander Zverev in four sets. Mmoh, who lost in the final round of qualifying a week ago, was almost preparing to jet out of Australia, but got a main draw spot as a lucky loser just a few hours before the 2023 Australian Open kicked off replacing the injured David Goffin. And he’s grabbed that opportunity with both hands, playing some fine tennis to oust Zverev. He’s now one match away from making it to the second week of a Major. Will he overcome J.J. Wolf?

J.J. Wolf leads Michael Mmoh 2-0 in the head-to-head, with both matches taking place at the Challenger level. Wolf won both matches in straight sets and should be primed to extend that winning streak over his compatriot. Wolf’s rally tolerance is getting better, he’s also not putting too much emphasis on results right now as he said, and is more concerned with improving his game. So far, Wolf has been crushing the ball powerfully and accurately from the baseline. Mmoh’s confidence-boosting win over Zverev will surely mean he cannot be counted out, but Wolf’s head-to-head record should give him the edge albeit slightly.