TennisSection previews the 2022 Adelaide Open as Tommy Paul takes on Jiri Vesely in the first round on Tuesday, January 4th, 2022.
Will Tommy Paul pick up from where he left off last November? Or will unseeded Czech Jiri Vesely roll back the years and stop the fast-rising American on his tracks? This is a clash of styles and certainly an interesting opening match at the 2022 Adelaide Open
Tommy Paul solidified his status as a Top 50 player towards the end of last season. After a series of eye-catching performances during the past 18 months, Paul was destined to break new barriers. And so it happened during the course of the 2021 season. He made an indifferent start to his campaign in the first quarter where he suffered a handful of early exits. But it was in Parma where everything knit together. He reached his first semifinal of the year in northern Italy and famously entertained the idea of upsetting Daniil Medvedev in the second round of the French Open where he lost in four sets. Things got even better in the second half of the campaign. A fourth round showing in Indian Wells was a headline act for him considering he scored a Top 10 win over Andrey Rublev in the process. And he put the seal to his 2021 season with a maiden ATP title in Stockholm, while simultaneously celebrating his place in Top 50. Paul will have a battle in his hands when he takes on Jiri Vesely in the first round of the 2022 Adelaide Open.
Jiri Vesely, unlike Tommy Paul, did not have the best of times on the ATP Tour. The big serving Czech did most of his good work in 2021 on the ATP Challenger where he collected his eighth career title at that level in Mouilleron-Le-Captif. Vesely has been ranked as high as World No. 35, but his stock has fallen sharply in recent seasons due to injuries and inconsistent run of results. As a result he hasn’t made it in the main draw of top tier ATP Tour events. But given his strong showing towards the backend of last season, maybe he could pull a surprise or two this year. How will he fare on his first outing of 2022 at the Adelaide Open?
Tommy Paul owns a 1-0 head-to-head record over Jiri Vesely prior to their encounter at the 2022 Adelaide Open. The American notched that win from a set down during their showdown in Parma last May. Vesely will look to play to his strengths this time. His big serve is a devastating weapon on fast hard court. And if he has time to hit the ball from his preferred strike zone, his forehand can be another destructive shot. Nonetheless, the Czech lefty’s form has marginally declined in the past few seasons, while Paul has been on the up. We are backing the flamboyant American to have the edge in this one.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Tommy Paul in 3 Sets.
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