Tennis acca tips: Jessica Pegula out for momentum in Adelaide

The players turning out in the Adelaide International have all favoured momentum over being well-rested for the Australian Open.

This is most evident on the women's side of the draw, with top names turning out in the hopes of collecting more rankings points and building a roll towards the first Grand Slam of the year.

With Jessica Pegula in action on Thursday, we will get another look at a strong Slam contender.

Here, we make our picks for six matches selected from the schedule on Thursday, 11 January 2024.

 

ATP Adelaide: Christopher O'Connell vs Sebastian Korda | Pick: Korda

ATP Adelaide: Jiri Lehecka vs Nicolas Jarry | Pick: Lehecka

ATP Adelaide: Lorenzo Musetti vs Alexander Bublik | Pick: Bublik

ATP Adelaide: Tommy Paul vs Jack Draper | Pick: Paul

WTA Adelaide: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Jessica Pegula | Pick: Pegula

WTA Adelaide: Marta Kostyuk vs Jelena Ostapenko | Pick: Ostapenko

 

ATP Adelaide: Christopher O'Connell vs Sebastian Korda

It's been nearly four years since the last meeting between these two players, who clashed twice in their days on the Challenger Tour.

This match will be the first full ATP Tour meeting between the two men, with O'Connell enjoying the advantage of playing at home.

However, it is Korda who looks to have the edge pre-match after a solid finish to 2023.

Korda is out to catch up to the breakout ATP Tour stars setting professional tennis alight.

 

ATP Adelaide: Jiri Lehecka vs Nicolas Jarry

Jiri Lehecka and Nicolas Jarry will write the next chapter in their budding rivalry with what will be their third career meeting, each having beaten the other once.

Their previous clashes came on the Challenger tour as well, so this will be the first time these players meet in a full ATP Tour event.

Jarry won both of his United Cup singles matches and is 3-0 for the season, but Lehecka has been tested with far better opposition in his four matches so far this term.

Lehecka pushed Novak Djokovic to the max not too long ago and looks to be one to watch this season.

 

ATP Adelaide: Lorenzo Musetti vs Alexander Bublik

Lorenzo Musetti and Alexander Bublik will face off for the second time in their careers in the last eight in Adelaide.

In that previous meeting, Musetti retired hurt after dropping the first set of the match to Bublik.

Musetti will be motivated to get that win back and should enjoy facing Bublik on a hard court a little more than on grass.

Bublik is unbeaten this season so far and showed he can hold off spirited opposition with his win over Dan Evans.

 

ATP Adelaide: Tommy Paul vs Jack Draper

Tommy Paul lost to Jack Draper in Adelaide last season and has to be out to avenge that defeat.

Draper certainly will have the power edge of Tommy Paul but the American should have a strategy to turn around the result from last January.

Paul was impressive in his first match of the season as he put away home hope Alex Bolt.

Draper was also at his best to win a three set battle against Miomir Kecmanovic after seeing off fifth seed Sebastian Baez to start his campaign.

Paul's game is all about finding a way to win, and he should just about get it done here.

 

WTA Adelaide: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Jessica Pegula

The last time these players met it was Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova who was the seeded player suffering a shock loss to Jessica Pegula.

Should Pegula repeat the win, it would be far from an upset with the American backed for a big season in 2024.

On hard courts is where she is especially good, and a first title of the season in Adelaide would get things rolling for Pegula.

Pavlyuchenkova doesn't look likely to turn around her recent rankings slide despite a few good results in Adelaide.

 

WTA Adelaide: Marta Kostyuk vs Jelena Ostapenko

Jelena Ostapenko would desperately love to shed the mercurial tag she has been lumbered with, but her propensity to go off the boil is a big problem for her.

She faces a player with potential top ten quality in Marta Kostyuk but she won't be giving an inch.

This will be the second meeting between the players, with Ostapenko taking the first.

Ostapenko is out to reach her first semi-final of the 2024 season in Adelaide after a loss in the last eight in Brisbane.