Tennis Acca tips: Australian Open favourite Elena Rybakina to continue scorching form

Elena Rybakina's scorching start to the 2024 season has everyone talking, and she will be in action again on Wednesday.

Rybakina, the top seed in Adelaide, begins her campaign with a match against Cristina Bucsa after enjoying a first round bye.

The world No 3 won the Brisbane International to start her season and will be out to keep winning until she has claimed the Australian Open.

Here, we present a handful of picks for the action in Adelaide on Wednesday, 10 January 2024.

 

ATP Adelaide: Jiri Lehecka vs Dusan Lajovic | Pick: Lehecka 

ATP Adelaide: Tommy Paul vs Alex Bolt | Pick: Paul

ATP Adelaide: Lorenzo Musetti vs Jordan Thompson | Pick: Musetti

WTA Adelaide: Taylor Townsend vs Marta Kostyuk | Pick: Kostyuk

WTA Adelaide: Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Veronika Kudermetova | Pick: Kudermetova

WTA Adelaide: Elena Rybakina vs Cristina Bucsa | Pick: Rybakina

 

ATP Adelaide: Jiri Lehecka vs Dusan Lajovic

Jiri Lehecka made short work of a local qualifier in the opening round but should be expecting much more from his second round foe.

Dusan Lajovic knocked out hometown hero Thanassi Kokkinakis in his first match of 2024.

Lajovic had to labour through three sets to win, but at this stage of the season, he should cherish his time on the court.

Lehecka's form suggests he should have a slight edge coming into this first encounter between these players. 

 

ATP Adelaide: Tommy Paul vs Alex Bolt

Tommy Paul should have far too much for 31-year-old Alex Bolt, but the qualifier already has one upset to his name this week.

Bolt bested Thiago Seyboth Wild in the first round of the main draw to book this date with Paul.

Paul, meanwhile, is playing his first match of the 2024 season, having skipped the events last week.

Nonetheless, the American should be able to hit his level and put away the journeyman.

 

ATP Adelaide: Lorenzo Musetti vs Jordan Thompson

Lorenzo Musetti will need to come up for an answer to the power game of Jordan Thompson, particularly when the Australian is serving.

Musetti has never faced Thompson before and suffered an early defeat in Hong Kong last week that likely encouraged him to enter the Adelaide International.

The Italian will need to find motivation to get beyond his opponent and put in a real challenge for the title in Adelaide.

Thompson will be high on confidence after his recent win over Rafael Nadal.

 

WTA Adelaide: Taylor Townsend vs Marta Kostyuk

Marta Kostyuk will want to build on a strong finish to 2023 and look to make a push to be in the frame for Grand Slam seedings this term.

American veteran Taylor Townsend is her obstacle in the last 16 in Adelaide after she bested compatriot Anhelina Kalinina for her second match win of 2024.

Townsend made the most of a lucky loser slot and shocked Aliaksandra Sasnovich for a place in the last 16.

Kostyuk should be able to work out Townsend and send her packing.

 

WTA Adelaide: Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Veronika Kudermetova

You can't get much closer than these two players, with just five places between them in the world rankings and a 2-2 career head-to-head.

Veronika Kudermetova is the player who seems to be on the up right now, but this will be a really tough battle.

These players do know each other very well, but that doesn't give much indication of which way it might fall.

Kudermetova is a player picked for big titles and a top-ten push, though, and will be tough to beat.

 

WTA Adelaide: Elena Rybakina vs Cristina Bucsa

Elena Rybakina and Cristina Bucsa will square off for the first time in their careers when they meet in the Adelaide International second round.

Rybakina was a winner in Brisbane last week and could be out to string an incredible hat-trick together.

However, she will first need to clear this hurdle, which is the talented Romanian Bucsa.

On a hard court, it doesn't seem like there will be much that Bucsa could do to stop the march of Rybakina.