Australian Open predictions and best bets for Day 3 – January 19-20
The 2026 Australian Open begins this weekend, as the top players in the world are in Melbourne Park for the season’s first major. Well, at VSiN, we’re covering every important tournament, providing you with futures and daily tennis best bets. That continues with some tennis picks for Day 3 of the action, so keep reading for a few of my favorite plays for January 19 and 20. Also, bookmark our Australian Open tennis hub, where you’ll get all of my stories and some additional video content!
I also post more tennis plays on the Pro Picks page. I like to see how odds are moving throughout the day, so I occasionally add picks after posting these columns. That said, keep checking that page every couple of hours if you want more of my action. That’s also where you’ll find picks from Gill Alexander, who does great work handicapping tennis on A Numbers Game. You can watch Gill analyze tennis Monday to Friday. With that in mind, if you like betting this sport, you might want to consider becoming a VSiN Pro.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts are betting!
Grigor Dimitrov vs. Tomas Machac
Machac just won a title in Adelaide, winning matches against talented players like Jaume Munar, Tommy Paul, and Ugo Humbert. Throughout the week, the Czech’s fitness wasn’t an issue, which was a pleasant surprise. If he can keep himself healthy throughout 2026, there’s a good chance he flirts with a top-10 ranking. However, I do need to see it to believe it. That said, he’s a player I’m not exactly confident in heading into a best-of-five event.
Of course, Dimitrov isn’t reliable when it comes to staying on the court himself, and this match almost feels like it’s destined to end with a retirement. However, Dimitrov is a brutal draw for Machac for a number of reasons, which is why I’m looking to grab the plus-money odds.
Over the last 52 weeks, Dimitrov actually has a higher TennisViz Performance Rating than Machac, as he’s at 7.72 and the Czech is at 7.68. Dimitrov is also the slightly better server (8.0 vs. 7.9), his forehand (7.9) is the biggest weapon on the court, and he has a real ability to control matches with his low-knifing backhand slice — and all of that should be a little more dangerous in the quick conditions in Melbourne.
Machac does have a win over Dimitrov under his belt, as he claimed a victory over the Bulgarian in Vienna in 2024. However, that was a very tight match, and this genuinely feels like it can go either way. I just give a small edge to Dimitrov because Machac played a lot of tennis last week. I’m always a little concerned about his body. I also wonder how Machac will do with finding the motivation to win, as it can be hard to begin a new tournament after raising a trophy.
Bet: Dimitrov ML (+116)
Anhelina Kalinina vs. Xinyu Wang
It’s hard not to love Kalinina in this match with Wang. The Ukrainian looked excellent in qualifying, winning in straight sets against Joanna Garland and Anouk Koevermans. Then, after a nervy first set against Maja Chwalinska, Kalinina emerged with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 victory to book her spot in the main draw. Kalinina is just serving extremely well right now, as she has made at least 72.6% of her first serves in three of her last four matches. When you combine that with her rock-solid returning and tough baseline style, she’s going to be a tough matchup for Wang.
I like the way Wang approaches the game, as she’s aggressive and confident. However, that style of play can occasionally lead to some ugly performances, as she can be guilty of over-hitting and racking up wild misses. And we have seen a good amount of those from Wang recently. Wang can be especially leaky from the forehand wing, and the fast, low-bouncing surface in Melbourne might give her some problems there. That’ll be interesting to watch here, as I already like Kalinina to do well in backhand-to-backhand exchanges.
I just haven’t seen enough from Wang recently to suggest she’s worthy of being a big favorite.
Bet: Kalinina ML (+125 – 1.5 units)
Linda Fruhvirtova vs. Lulu Sun
What have you done for me lately? Sun made the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 2024, but she had a losing record at the WTA level in 2025. She was just 14-22 on the season, with an October run to the finals in Guangzhou doing some of the heavy lifting in helping her make that mark look somewhat respectable. However, we haven’t seen the southpaw since October, so this is a shaky player that isn’t exactly in form. Meanwhile, Fruhvirtova is battle-tested entering this tournament, as she won three three-set matches in qualifying to earn her spot in the main draw.
Fruhvirtova has always been considered one of the better prospects in the women’s game, but she has seen some younger players pass her by. However, the Czech is still extremely talented, possessing weapons and natural ability that very few have.
This is also a matchup that could be rather interesting from the baseline, as Fruhvirtova takes the ball early to try and rush her opponents. Meanwhile, Sun is a player that needs a bit of time to load up and swing.
Bet: Fruhvirtova ML (+126)
Added Plays
I usually have A LOT MORE on the Pro Picks page. Those plays count towards my record and have been a big part of my success this season. Make sure you check them out. I’ll probably add a few more over there, so refresh that page throughout the day if you’re looking for action.
