Pablo Carreño-Busta vs Benjamin Bonzi Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP Australian Open

Prediction published on 17/01/2023, 05:46  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 17/01/2023 at 07:14 in Tennis Predictions

14th seeded Pablo Carreno Busta bids to make it into the third round of the Australian Open for a seventh successive year. The Spaniard has to get past unseeded Benjamin Bonzi to set up a possible last 32 match against 22nd seed Alex de Minaur. Busta has also reached the fourth round of this Grand Slam three times in the past five years but is yet to play in a quarter final. He's done that twice at Roland Garros and has made it to the last four twice in the US Open. He began this tournament ranked 15th in the world but is up a place in the live list. The first round saw him defeat Pedro Cachin in straight sets but two of the three went to tie-breaks. So far this year, That was his first win of the year after losing to eventual winner Kwon Soonwoo in Adelaide last week.

Benjamin Bonzi is in 48th position in the latest world rankings and up two places in the live list. The Frenchman has a career high ranking of 44th and that was achieved last July. He's in the main draw of the Australian Open for only the second time in his career, the other occasion being last year when losing to Karen Khachanov in the second round. Beating Busta would see Bonzi in the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. He's made a good start to the new year and was the runner-up in the ATP tournament held in Pune, India, losing to Tallon Griekspoor in the final after winning the first set. He then travelled to Australia and lost in the first round of the second Adelaide International to Robin Heese, who was ranked 257th at the time. He beat qualiifier Mattia Bellucci (ranked 152nd) in the first round of this tournament. It took him four sets to do so after dropping the first set. Busta looks the more likely winner here.