tennis | Wednesday, January 18, 2023 8:40 AM (Revised at: Thursday, January 19, 2023 1:16 PM)

Wednesday Tennis Best Bet: ATP Australian Open, J.J. Wolf vs Diego Schwartzman

Jon Reid

J.J. Wolf vs Diego Schwartzman Best Bet: Wednesday, January 18th

Nice start to the week from Melbourne, as Ben Shelton and Zhizhen Zhang go the distance, playing five sets and a super tiebreak in the deciding set to boot.

Onto Wednesday’s selection, where we’ll break down the second-round tilt between J.J. Wolf and Diego Schwartzman.

In this article:

J.J. Wolf vs Diego Schwartzman Preview
J.J. Wolf vs Diego Schwartzman Best Bet

J.J. Wolf vs Diego Schwartzman Preview

January 19th, TBD (UK Time)

It’s a fantastic opportunity for the big-hitting American down under, as he takes on the relatively out-of-form Schwartzman in a bid to reach the third round of a second consecutive grand slam, after doing so in New York last summer.

In a match that features a distinct contrast in styles, Wolf will be looking to play that first-strike tennis and dictate using his strong serve and massive forehand when it comes to baseline exchanges.

With a game made for quicker courts, he should see a much bigger boost to his game from the quicker surface and lighter Dunlop balls than the diminutive Argentinian.

As for Schwartzman, it wouldn’t be surprising to see his service games constantly under siege, and with plenty of question marks surrounding his game at the moment, he’s the clear underdog in my books.

Prior to his first-round match, he hadn’t won since the U.S. Open. He was also forced to retire from his match in Auckland (where he was thumped in the first set by Jenson Brooksby) after what looked like something popped in his knee. That is a concern for someone whose game is predicated on defensive play and movement.

Finally, even his opening round win was thoroughly underwhelming. He beat a player that doesn’t boast many weapons (total opposite of the American Schwartzman plays next). Krutykh doesn’t play much hard-court tennis, is a Challenger-level guy through and through, and he still managed to push Schwartzman, splitting the opening two sets, before succumbing to the heat as he faded in what were incredibly difficult conditions to play through in Melbourne (keep in mind, just a little while later, the tournament actually paused all play on outer courts for a while due to the extreme heat).

J.J. Wolf vs Diego Schwartzman Best Bet

Schwartzman’s first-round victory was far from being reassuring enough for me to have him priced within 4.5 to 5 games in this one on the handicap against the strong American.

Is there a path to victory for the 30-year-old? Sure. If he can extend enough rallies and Wolf’s power starts to get a little wild, Schwartzman could certainly capitalise. Is it likely given the court speed, his form and the lack of finishing power to his own game? No.