Karen Khachanov vs Denis Kudla – First Round – Preview & Prediction | 2022 Australian Open
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
THE FACTS
When is Karen Khachanov vs Denis Kudla on and what time does it start? Karen Khachanov vs Denis Kudla will take place on Monday 17th January, 2022 – not before 01:15 (UK)
Where is Karen Khachanov vs Denis Kudla taking place? Karen Khachanov vs Denis Kudla will take place at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia
What surface is Karen Khachanov vs Denis Kudla being played on? Karen Khachanov vs Denis Kudla will take place on an outdoor hard court
Where can I get tickets for Karen Khachanov vs Denis Kudla? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for Karen Khachanov vs Denis Kudla
What channel is Karen Khachanov vs Denis Kudla on in the UK? Karen Khachanov vs Denis Kudla will be televised live on Eurosport
Where can I stream Karen Khachanov vs Denis Kudla in the UK? Eurosport subscribers can stream Karen Khachanov vs Denis Kudla live on their website, while Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match live on Sky Go
THE LOWDOWN
KAREN KHACHANOV
25-year-old Karen Khachanov looked to have turned a corner last season as he continues to try and return to a career-high 8th in the ATP world rankings he achieved back in 2018. The Russian won the Paris Masters that season but that was the last of his total four ATP titles, with 2019 and 2020 fairly unkind to him whilst other Russians pulled ahead. Khachanov made the quarter-finals of Wimbledon on merit last year but a straight-sets defeat to Arthur Rinderknech at Adelaide 2 this week after reaching the Adelaide 1 final the week before is the kind of inconsistency that frustrates with the industrious baseliner.
DENIS KUDLA
World number 109 Denis Kudla is one of the ATP tour’s enigmas. The 29-year-old set a career-high ATP world ranking of 53rd back in 2016 but rarely troubled the latter stages of tournaments despite some memorable moments in Grand Slams. Two five-set defeats at the Australian Open to Dominic Thiem in 2018 and Diego Schwartzman a year later are just two examples and his loss to Novak Djokovic in the third round of Wimbledon last season was of excellent quality. The American’s bet finish is a round of 16 exit from SW19 to Marin Cilic back in 2015.
THE PREDICTION
Kudla was the winner of his only previous meeting with Karen Khachanov in straight sets at the Washington Open back in 2018, a year when the Russian was very much at the peak of his powers. That, Kudla’s penchant for a Grand Slam, and Khachanov’s average early-season form all suggests there could be an upset on the cards here and it certainly make staking Khachanov to win at least a set the suitably cautious pick here. A one-off punt on Kudla to take at least a set could be the shrewd move here with Khachanov no stranger to the longer duels on court.
