Kokkinakis Off To Strong Start In Adelaide
Thanasi Kokkinakis, who has overcome a series of injuries in recent years, had reason to smile on Tuesday when he lost just five first-service points to knock out fellow Australian John Millman 6-4, 6-3 in 82 minutes at the Adelaide International 1. The 25-year-old will now face fourth-seeded American Frances Tiafoe at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre.
In his final match of 2021, Tommy Paul captured his first ATP Tour title at the Stockholm Open. On Tuesday, the sixth-seeded American continued his winning ways with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic in two hours and 17 minutes.
Competing at a career-high No. 43 in the ATP Rankings, Paul earned 25 match wins last year and now challenges Japan’s Taro Daniel, who struck 12 aces to beat #NextGenATP Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3 in two hours and 34 minutes.
Elsewhere, World No. 113 Egor Gerasimov started his 2022 ATP Tour season in style by knocking out fifth-seeded Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 6-3, 6-4 in 87 minutes. The Belarusian now plays Italy’s Gianluca Mager, who was a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victor over Argentinean qualifier Francisco Cerundolo.
Cerundolo’s younger brother, Juan Manuel Cerundolo, set up a second-round clash against top-seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils after a 6-2, 6-4 win over Australian qualifier Alex Bolt in 80 minutes. Monfils will be bidding to capture his 11th ATP Tour title this week at the ATP 250 event.