Jiri Vesely vs Tommy Paul: Preview and betting tips

On Monday, the tennis tournament in Adelaide will start, one of the rehearsals for the upcoming Australian Open. The Czech Republic will have one representative among the men, Jiri Vesely. Can he handle the American Paul in the first round?

Jiri Vesely is a 28-year-old tennis player from the Czech Republic. The Příbram native is currently ranked 83rd on the ATP rankings, but he is still the best player on the domestic scene. In 2022, he would undoubtedly like to improve on his recent results.

Last year, Veselý won one title, as he did in 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2020. He didn’t find a loser in Mouilleron-Le-Capti, France. He dominated the local challenger with a loss of only one set.

His opponent on Monday will be twenty-four-year-old American Tommy Paul. He is currently ranked 43rd on the ATP rankings, his career high. This will make him the number six seed in Adelaide.

Paul finished the previous year in great form as he captured the ATP 250 tournament in Stockholm. He knocked out Borg, Fritz, Murray and Tiafoe on his way to the final. He then went on to beat Denis Shapovalov for the trophy.

So what to bet on? The paper favourite is clearly Tommy Paul. This will be the third duel between the two, and the balance is even so far. Both players have won one meeting, but this is the first time they will meet on a hard surface.

If Paul follows up his performance in Stockholm, it will be very difficult for Vesely to find a recipe for his game. The American should fulfil the role of the paper favourite and advance to the next round. That’s why I recommend a bet on him to win in two sets.