Juncheng Shang rallied to beat Laslo Djere in the first round, and he'll seek to capitalize on Botic van de Zandschlup's win against Shintaro Mochizuki to advance to the third round.
Over the last three years Down Under, the Dutchman has had strong season openings and will look to continue.
While the favorite is likely to win, Juncheng Shang will be more eager to grind out a win and should take advantage of any possibilities.
Karen Khachanov will win a major if he overcomes his inconsistency and fitness. When in the mood, he's unplayable, and his top-20 ranking is a testament to his brilliance.
Like Khachanov, Emil Ruusuvuori struggled with fitness and injury last season. If he struggled to beat Benjamin Bonzi in the first round, the Russian should breeze through this. Khachanov dominates their head-to-head.
Pavel Kotov's first-round triumph over Nuno Borges demonstrates that the young Italian will face a tough opponent, especially after he struggled to beat homeboy wild card Chak Lam Coleman.
Musetti is the better player and has more talent, but his hard court performances have been disappointing. Unless he improves, the Russian can win this battle, and I'm backing him to win close.
Frances Tiafoe reached the Top 10 in 2023 and finished #16. The American reached Flushing Meadows' quarterfinals after winning his home tournament in Houston.
Despite last year's inconsistencies, his Serbian opponent has started well this season and can reduce the gap if he can reproduce his first-round triumph over Daniel T