Brandon Nakashima vs Botic van de Zandschulp Preview & Prediction | 2026 Australian Open | First Round
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Runner-up in Brisbane earlier this month, Brandon Nakashima of the USA is hunting down the first Australian Open main draw victory of his career against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.
Start date/time:
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Surface: Outdoor hard
How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN
How to watch online: UK – discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & Tennis Channel
Tickets: Visit this link for the latest Brandon Nakashima vs Botic van de Zandschulp ticket information
Brandon Nakashima vs Botic van de Zandschulp prediction
The draw has been kind to 27th seed Brandon Nakashima, who has historically found life extremely difficult in Melbourne. However, the American has consistently improved his game year-upon-year and is in the best place possible to finally end his Australian Open hoodoo by advancing to the second round here for the very first time.
Botic van de Zandschulp is ranked well below Nakashima and comes into this tie as a significant underdog. Whilst the Dutchman boasts significant baseline power, his inconsistency has not allowed him to gain any real momentum and he’s facing a player in excellent form who is high on confidence right now.
Expect this match to prove fourth time lucky in the main singles draw for Nakashima at the Australian Open. His performances at Brisbane felt like a sign of things to come for the 24-year-old this year and victory here would represent another key milestone in his career.
Brandon Nakashima vs Botic van de Zandschulp tip: Brandon Nakashima to win
