Second-round action at the Adelaide International will unlock the top-seeded players at the tournament. One of those is Tommy Paul, who is first on the seed list and faces home player Alex Bolt. There is also a clash of styles when Alexander Bublik takes on Dan Evans. Who will reach the quarterfinal?
ATP Adelaide Day 3 Predictions
Sebastian Korda vs Lorenzo Sonego
Head-to-head: Sonego 3-1 Korda
Sebastian Korda stood on the doorstep of the world’s Top 20 last season. Had it not been for a freak wrist injury he sustained at the Australian Open, things could have gone even better for the lanky American. The new season offers him an opportunity to redeem himself and start on a clean slate. However, the year did not start as planned, as Yannick Hanfmann outgunned Korda in Brisbane this past week. Additionally, his record against Lorenzo Sonego is wanting, with the Italian winning three of their four bouts on hard courts (two indoors). Sonego prevented a rematch between Korda and Hanfmann by taking out the German in a three-set thriller in the opening round of Adelaide, where he saved two match points. Whether Sonego can recover in time to extend his good spell against Korda remains doubtful. The third seed looks poised to make the last eight.
Prediction: Korda in 2
Jiri Lehecka vs Dusan Lajovic
Head-to-head: first meeting
Jiri Lehecka was winless at the United Cup, but his efforts were rightly recognized after taking Novak Djokovic to his limits in the Czech Republic’s tie against Serbia. The 22-year-old opened his account for the new season with a 6-1 6-3 victory over Australian qualifier Adam Walton. Dusan Lajovic was equally impressive in stunning Thanasi Kokkinakis from a set down. Even as he approaches the age of 34, Lajovic seems well-balanced, and his ground strokes have a clean-cut look. This one could be on a knife edge, but Lehecka might have the impetus to excel in long exchanges to win.
Prediction: Lehecka in 3
Tommy Paul vs Alex Bolt
Head-to-head: Paul 1-0 Bolt
Tommy Paul chose not to participate in the mad scramble of the first week of the new season. The laid-back American took a rare turn and will compete at the Adelaide International before heading to Melbourne. Paul defends semifinal points at the Australian Open, putting him in must-win territory this week. Alex Bolt has fared brilliantly right from qualifying and easily dispatched Thiago Seyboth Wild in the main draw to earn a second-round showdown against the top seed. He surfs into this match with real momentum, but Paul’s skillset should prove a little too much for the 31-year-old home favorite.
Prediction: Paul in 2
Alexander Bublik vs Dan Evans
Head-to-head: Bublik 4-1 Evans
On paper, Dan Evans possesses an array of shots and the ability to improvise that you would think could suck Alexander Bublik into false shots and test his patience. The Kazakh is a man with a limited arsenal, and he tries to maximize his strengths before he runs out of options. Strangely enough, Evans has come second best in this matchup, losing four of their five head-to-head meetings. It looks like a substantial sample size to pick Bublik to win their latest installment.
Prediction: Bublik in 3
Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
