Musetti is expecting and reigns supreme in Adelaide, de Minaur becomes home trump card for Australian Open

While the Australian Open qualifying matches are already being played in Melbourne, another Australian city, Adelaide, is playing a well-attended ATP Tour tournament, which is considered by most favourites as a dress rehearsal for the first Grand Slam tournament of the season. Twenty-one-year-old Italian Lorenzo Musetti, who declared on the Adelaide tennis website before the tournament that he would be a father within two months, is doing particularly well.

This seems to have given the world number 25 a “kick” and he is doing very well in the Adelaide tournament, the twenty-one year old Tuscan knocked out the local Jordan Thompson in two sets, who in the Brisbane quarter-finals knocked out the “returning” Spaniard Rafael Nadal after a three-set battle.

Lorenzo Musetti, meanwhile, gives the impression that he will be the “discovery of the season” and says he wants to reach the top 20. He has already won two ATP tournaments in 2022 – well-attended events in Hamburg and Naples. But already in Adelaide, the Tuscan has stiff competition – Pula, Humbert, Jarry, the returning Czech Opelka, who dropped out of the world rankings due to injury and is fighting for the best ranking in Adelaide.

We can’t forget about the local Kokkinakis and the “American” Korda. Especially Paul, another American, is likely to be a difficult obstacle for Musetti in Adelaide.

Those who are not playing in Adelaide are also preparing for the very well attended forty-sixth edition of the ATP Tour in Auckland, New Zealand, where last year’s winner Richard Gasguet of France lost in the opening round to his nineteen-year-old compatriot Arthuren Fils, who after another win fits into the role of the tournament favourite.

Last year the youngster won the ATP tournament in Lyon and was also in the final in Antwerp, this year he is aiming much higher! However, the American Shelton and the British Norrie are in his way. The fact that Frenchman Monfils got a wild card for this tournament is certainly interesting, but he won’t use it in the overall victory.

Meanwhile, the men’s singles qualification for the Australian Open is being played, from which Svrcina has already dropped out, while Kopriva and Mensik are moving on. In particular, the 18-year-old Jakub had a nerve-wracking battle with Japan’s Nishikama.

The Australian “dark horse” of the first Grand Slam tournament – twenty-four-year-old Alex de Minaur, who comes from Sydney and lives in Monte Carlo, is preparing in Melbourne – the venue of the Australian Open, where he played a victorious three-set exhibition with the Spanish “big man” Carlos Alcaraz.

After beating three of the world’s top ten ranked players at the United Cup in Perth, de Minaur is becoming a big home-grown Australian hope for the first Grand Slam of the season.

Source: Adelaide, Australian Open