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Match details
Fixture: (6) Jannik Sinner vs (WC) Thanasi Kokkinakis
Date: January 5, 2023
Tournament: Adelaide International 1 2023
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Memorial Drive Tennis Centre, Adelaide, Australia
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $642,735
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Tennis TV | Australia - 9Now
Jannik Sinner vs Thanasi Kokkinakis preview
World No. 15 Jannik Sinner will take on home favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round of the 2023 Adelaide International 1 on Thursday.
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Sinner commenced his campaign against Britain's Kyle Edmund on Tuesday. He quickly jumped to a 4-1 lead in the first set, a gap which his opponent was unable to close. The Italian remained ahead throughout the set and claimed it soon enough.
The second set was no different. Edmund managed to keep pace with Sinner for the first three games. The 21-year-old bagged the next five games to win the match 6-3, 6-2.
Kokkinakis was up against Maxime Cressy in the first round here. With neither player coming close to a break point in the opening set, a tie-break was inevitable. The Australian gained the upper hand in it to capture the set.
Both players had a couple of break point chances early on in the second set but couldn't get the job done. Cressy got another go at it pretty soon and broke his opponent's serve in the fifth game to go 3-2 up. He consolidated his lead with a hold of serve to make it 4-2.
Kokkinakis dug deep and got back on serve soon enough. The set eventually went into a tie-break, with the Australian initially blowing a couple of match points. He then had to save a set point before wrapping up the match to win 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7).
Jannik Sinner vs Thanasi Kokkinakis head-to-head
Sinner leads Kokkinakis 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2022 Western & Southern Open in three sets.
Jannik Sinner vs Thanasi Kokkinakis odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Jannik Sinner vs Thanasi Kokkinakis prediction
Sinner was simply too solid in his opener against Edmund. He didn't face a single break point throughout the contest and his serving numbers were quite impressive. While he was hitting the ball really hard, it wasn't just all-out ball-bashing from the young Italian.
Kokkinakis did well against Cressy as well. The highlight of his match was the 21 aces that he fired, often at crucial points. A similar performance will give him a fighting chance against Sinner as well. The Australian's skills and touch at the are a tad bit better than his opponent and could give him a slight edge.
Their previous meeting in Cincinnati was a close affair, with Sinner coming out on top in the third set tie-break. He went 2/10 on break points, which made things a lot harder for him. Kokkiankis' serve was definitely a factor but the 21-year-old flubbed a few chances on his own.
But based on how they played in the previous round, Sinner will be the favorite to come through his clash.
Pick: Jannik Sinner to win in straight sets.
