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Players will be looking to book their place in the quarterfinals on Day 3 of the Adelaide International.
There weren't any upsets as such on Tuesday, with all the favorites making it through. The top players will now take to the court starting from Wednesday. The likes of Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda and Nicolas Jarry will be in action as they look to get some much-needed wins prior to the Australian Open.
On that note, here are the predictions for some of the big matches set for Day 3 of the Adelaide International:
#1 - Tommy Paul vs Alex Bolt
2023 was a year to remember for Paul. He reached his maiden Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open, and then his first semifinal at the Masters level at the Canadian Open.
Paul also had a couple of runner-up finishes to his name. He rose to a career-high ranking of No. 12 and concluded the year with a 41-28 record. The Adelaide International will be his first tournament of the new season, and as the top seed, he received a first-round bye.
Bolt initially wasn't even in the qualifying draw, but eventually secured a place in it as an alternate. He made the most of the opportunity and fought his way to the main draw. He then defeated Thiago Seyboth Wild 6-3, 6-2 to reach the second round.
Bolt has played at a pretty decent level so far and hasn't lost a set yet. This will be Paul's first match of the season, so he could be a little rusty. But if he loses to an opponent ranked outside the top 300, then he'll have a lot to worry about heading into the Australian Open.
Predicted winner: Tommy Paul
#2 - Alexander Bublik vs Dan Evans
Bublik and Evans both kicked off their Adelaide International campaigns with routine wins over James Mccabe and Rinky Hijikata respectively. The Kazakh had some issues with his serve as he coughed up five double faults, but otherwise he did a great job with regards to his first serve.
Bublik has the upper hand in his rivalry with Evans as he leads him 3-1 in the head-to-head. However, the Brit's only win in this match-up was at this venue four years ago.
Evans could feel inspired and try to repeat the feat, but Bublik will still be backed to come out on top in this duel.
Predicted winner: Alexander Bublik
#3 - Jack Draper vs Miomir Kecmanovic
Draper put on a commanding display of tennis to send fifth seed Sebastian Baez packing in the first round of the Adelaide International. He didn't face a single break point over the course of his 6-1, 6-3 victory.
Kecmanovic made a pretty solid start too, as he scored a 6-4, 6-2 win over Mackenzie McDonald. However, the Serb did drop his serve twice over during the match.
Draper has shown a lot of promise whenever he gets a chance to play, as he is often injured. Kecmanovic had a subpar 2023 season, during which he compiled a 27-30 record.
The two have faced off twice before, with both matches happening last year. Draper secured the win in Lyon, while Kecmanovic came through during the Davis Cup Finals in November. Given how they played in the previous round, the Brit has a better shot at advancing further.
Predicted winner: Jack Draper
#4 - Lorenzo Musetti vs Jordan Thompson
Musetti received a bye into the second round as one of the top seeds at the Adelaide International. The Italian bowed out of last week's Hong Kong Open in the second round.
Thompson, meanwhile, dispatched qualifier Facundo Diaz Acosta 6-2, 6-2 in the first round. He also scored one of the most memorable wins of his career in Brisbane last week.
Up against Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals, Thompson saved a match point en route to defeating him in three sets. He then lost to eventual champion Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinals. The Australian will fancy his chances against Musetti following his run in Brisbane.
As for the Italian, he has been quite inconsistent of late and susceptible to losing to lower-ranked players. If Musetti throws in another average performance, an in-form player like Thompson wouldn't hesistate to capitalize on it. But if the 21-year-old raises his level, he could have the last laugh in the end.
Predicted winner: Lorenzo Musetti
