Reilly Opelka Faces Gauthier Onclin in Australian Open First Round

Reilly Opelka, ranked No. 171, will face Gauthier Onclin, ranked No. 236, in the Round of 128 at the Australian Open on Sunday, January 12, 2025. The match is set to begin at 7:25 PM AEDT at Melbourne Park, marking the first Grand Slam clash between the two players.

Onclin enters the match after a narrow defeat in the Australian Open qualifying round on January 10, where he lost to Aleksandar Kovacevic in a tight three-set battle (3-6, 7-6, 6-7). Opelka, meanwhile, last competed on September 26, 2024, at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, where he fell to Ben Shelton in the Round of 32 (6-3, 1-6, 4-6).

According to advanced predictive analytics by Stats Insider, Opelka holds a 69% chance of winning the match. The model, which simulated the outcome 10,000 times, suggests Opelka is the favorite, but Onclin’s odds present a 5.7% edge for bettors. TAB, an Australian betting platform, lists Onclin at $3.75 and Opelka at $1.28 to win the match. For the first set, Onclin is priced at $2.75, while Opelka is at $1.44.

Opelka, known for his powerful serve and towering presence at 6’11