Thanasi Kokkinakis captured an emotional ATP 250 title in Adelaide at the beginning of last year (technically the second Adelaide event that will be held again next week) and he is off to a strong start in front of the home crowd this time around.
Kokkinakis kicked off his week–and his 2023 campaign–with a 7-6(4), 7-6(7) victory over Maxime Cressy on Tuesday. It was a much-needed win for the 93rd-ranked Australian, and not just because he will soon be defending a lot of points. Dating back to the start of the 2022 French Open, Kokkinakis went 2-8 in main draws on the main tour through the end of the season.
Sinner, on the other hand, was consistently stellar when healthy last year. The 15th-ranked Italian compiled a 47-16 record with a title in Umag, a fourth-round showing at Roland Garros, and quarterfinal performances in each of the other three Grand Slams–including a loss to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the match of the year at the U.S. Open. Sinner opened earlier this week in Adelaide with a 6-3, 6-2 rout of Kyle Edmund.
Kokkinakis and Sinner have gone head-to-head once before, and it did not disappoint. In round one of the Cincinnati Masters last summer, Sinner prevailed 6-7(9), 6-4, 7-6(6).
Although Kokkinakis can be competitive and probably will be to some extent, Sinner is armed with a clean bill of health following a welcomed offseason and should continue to roll.
Pick: Sinner in 2
WWW?
Sinner in 3.