The only all-seeded quarterfinal matchup on Thursday in Adelaide pits Alejandro Davidovich Fokina against Valentin Vacherot. Tommy Paul and Aleksandar Vukic are also aiming for a place in the last four.
(1) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs. (5) Valentin Vacherot
Davidovich Fokina and Vacherot will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they collide in the Adelaide International quarterfinals on Thursday. Their only previous meeting came in the 2024 French Open first round, with Davidovich Fokina prevailing 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(2).
Of course, that was well before Vacherot’s breakthrough came in the fall of 2025. The 27-year-old from Monaco won the Shanghai Masters from completely out of nowhere and followed it up with a quarterfinal performance in Paris. Vacherot lost right away in Brisbane to Sebastian Korda, but he opened in Adelaide with a straight-set win over Miomir Kecamanovic and then got a walkover from Thanasi Kokkinakis. Davidovich Fokina earned an opening bye as the top seed and dismissed Rinky Hijikata 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday. The pressure is on Davidovich Fokina to not only win this match but also capture his first ATP title. An in-form Vacherot has a great chance to pull off a minor upset.
Pick: Vacherot in 3
(Q) Aleksandar Vukic vs. (2) Tommy Paul
Paul did not play after the U.S. Open last season because of adductor and foot injuries that had been plaguing him throughout 2025. That is why the 28-year-old American is outside the top 20, so he will be eager to regain his place in the top 10. Paul lost his first match of the Australian summer to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a third-set tiebreaker at the Brisbane International, but he found the win column with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Reilly Opelka on Wednesday.
Up next for the second seed is a first-ever showdown against Vukic, who has advanced with victories over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrea Vavassori. The 87th-ranked Aussie is bouncing back nicely from a 6-2, 6-2 setback against Frances Tiafoe in the Brisbane first round. Vukic may have home-court advantage, but this probably isn’t a favorable matchup for him against an opponent who is just as solid but also wields both more firepower and more variety.
Pick: Paul in 3
WWW?
ADF in 3; TP in straight
The Adelaide quarterfinals feel like prime betting territory—Davidovich Fokina vs. Vacherot especially looks like a tricky line to read.
Yeah, Fokina’s the favorite on paper, but Vacherot’s recent form makes it feel like a risky wager
That’s the kind of match where gamblers hesitate—do you bet on rankings or ride the hot hand?