#AusOpen Jan 16 RLA line-up#Halep ✅#Venus ✅#Murray ✅#Kerber ✅#Federer ✅
Tix available for day & night sessions https://t.co/OuTs5VIFQo pic.twitter.com/s5LiIa39Lq

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 14, 2017

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Predicted Winners in BOLD

Andy Murray (GBR) [1] vs. Illya Marchenko (UKR) – Andy should cruise into round 2.

Jurgen Melzer (AUT) vs. Roger Federer (SUI) [17] – This is not the awestruck qualifier Roger Federer was hoping for, but I think Federer should win.

Bernard Tomic (AUS) [27] vs. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) – This is close to a 50-50 match.

Stan Wawrinka (SUI) [4] vs. Martin Klizan (SVK) – This could be a trap match for Wawrinka who tends to play better as events progress.  Klizan is no slouch.

Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) vs. Kei Nishikori (JPN) [5] – Kei looked pretty strong in Brisbane, but like many of these matches this is not a lock.

Gastao Elias (POR) vs. Nick Kyrgios (AUS) [14] – Has Kyrgios found some inner peace?

Tomas Berdych (CZE) [10] vs. Luca Vanni (ITA) – Berdych seems likely to win this one.

Jerzy Janowicz (POL) vs. Marin Cilic (CRO) [7] – Jerzy has not looked like his 2012 or 2013 self since 2013, but he his power gives him a chance.  I still like Cilic in a battle of big guys.

Alex De Minaur (AUS) vs. Gerald Melzer (AUT)

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [12] vs. Thiago Monteiro (BRA)

Victor Estrella Burgos (DOM) vs. Aljaz Bedene (GBR)

Karen Khachanov (RUS) vs. Adrian Mannarino (FRA)

Quentin Halys (FRA) vs. Sam Querrey (USA) [31] – Querrey has recovered from some injury issues to become a somewhat tricky out once again.

Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) vs. Jack Sock (USA) [23] – Sock has momentum, but this is a tricky match.

James Duckworth (AUS) vs. Paolo Lorenzi (ITA)

Steve Darcis (BEL) vs. Sam Groth (AUS) – If Darcis can defuse enough of Groth’s power, he should win.

Malek Jaziri (TUN) vs. Go Soeda (JPN)

Bjorn Fratangelo (USA) vs. Noah Rubin (USA)

Nicolas Almagro (ESP) vs. Jeremy Chardy (FRA) – I like Chardy in a 50-50 type match.

Marcel Granollers (ESP) vs. Dudi Sela (ISR) – The gritty Granollers should flourish in Melbourne’s harsh conditions.

Pablo Cuevas (URU) [22] vs. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) – The battle for the southern cone of South America goes to Cuevas.

Alexander Bublik (KAZ) vs. Lucas Pouille (FRA) [16] – Pouille enters 2017 with the weight of some expectations.  Will he handle them?  I think more or less he should.

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) vs. Mischa Zverev (GER)

Facundo Bagnis (ARG) vs. Daniel Evans (GBR)

Ryan Harrison (USA) vs. Nicolas Mahut (FRA) – Mahut has the lower floor even if Harrison may have the higher ceiling.

Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) [26] vs. Lukas Lacko (SVK) – If one has tickets, watch this match in person!

Andrey Rublev (RUS) vs. Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) – I never do well when picking Lu.

Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) vs. Andreas Seppi (ITA) – This should be fun.

John Isner (USA) [19] vs. Konstantin Kravchuk (RUS) – Isner played well in Paris last fall. Is he capable of a deep run at the Australian Open?

Federico Delbonis (ARG) vs. Steve Johnson (USA) – This should be a great match.  I like Johnson, but expect 4 or 5 sets.

Damir Dzumhur (BIH) vs. Viktor Troicki (SRB) [29]

Dusan Lajovic (SRB) vs. Stephane Robert (FRA)