Russian Andrey Rublev and German Angelique Kerber headline action-packed Wednesday at Adelaide International
The Adelaide International is set for an action-packed Wednesday with big hitting Russian Andrey Rublev and German star Angelique Kerber taking to the court.
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Any doubts about the quality of the field at the Adelaide International being distilled by knockouts and withdrawals can be cut aside with a glance at today’s centre court order of play.
All five matches across two sessions have a compelling quality but arguably it will be the spectators quickest to take their seats this morning who may land the best deal.
Russian Andrey Rublev, world No. 18 and fresh into South Australia after claiming an ATP title in Doha last weekend, will take on the American veteran Sam Querry at 11am.
Following the latest weekly reshuffle of the world rankings, Rublev is now the highest player in the men’s draw and will pose a threat to the established order at the Australian Open next week.
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The fiery 22-year-old redhead (checkout the YouTube clips of Rublev in action at the Davis Cup finals last November) is very much the form player of the men’s tournament, dispatching Stan Wawrinka in Doha and has also beaten Roger Federer and world No. 5 Dominic Them in the past few months.
An all action player, he is very much in the vanguard of players capable of wrangling the baton from the men’s big three.
Injuries - a lower back fracture and a wrist injury last year - have derailed him temporarily but full fit and on form, Rublev is a man to watch.
His opponent, the giant (198cm) Querry is ranked 45, with 10 plus years experience on the tour and is one of the more thoughtful players about.
Rublev will need to be on his guard.
Angelique Kerber is on centre court in late afternoon while Sydneysider James Duckworth takes on Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime at 6.30pm in what promises to be a cracker.
Auger-Aliassime, ranked 22, also a multi lingual piano player, is one of just two teenagers in the world top 100 and a coup for the men’s tournament.
Spectators looking for an upset - or equally the 2020 Adelaide International champion - might want to check out the last match on centre court where Belinda Bencic (world No. 7) takes on Germany’s Julia Goerges, a statuesque veteran capable of unseating the best on her day and who put out Australia’s Priscilla Hon in the blazing sun on Memorial Drive’s show court yesterday afternoon.
Bencic, 22, has a good a chance as anyone to lift the women’s crown in Melbourne later this month but the battle hardened Goerges is in well in form.
Expect baseline battles aplenty.
Elsewhere, the sunken people’s court has an impressive roster with Australia’s Arina Rodionova - who has had a splendid week, playing through the qualifiers - taking on Marketa Vondrousova, the 2019 French Open runner-up to Ash Barty.