Adelaide International 2023: Seven Aussies including Alexei Popyrin and Rinky Hijikata into main draw
Australian tennis fans will have plenty to cheer about at the Adelaide International with a total of seven Aussies to feature in a packed main draw.
Seven Aussies will feature in the WTA500 and ATP250 Adelaide International this week after both Alexei Popyrin and Rinky Hijikata progressed through qualifying to contest the main draw.
The tournament got off to a muted start on Sunday with only a handful of main draw matches played as the final qualifiers were decided.
And it started poorly for the Aussies with Storm Hunter falling 6-4 3-6 3-6 to Viktorija Golubic before Kim Birrell was knocked out in straight sets at the hands of world No. 47 Shelby Rogers.
It leaves Priscilla Hon and Jaimee Fourlis as the only homegrown hopefuls in action on the women’s side of the draw.
Fourlis will face Ukrainian world No. 69 Marta Kostyuk in the opening round, while Hon will have American Claire Liu for company to begin her 2023 campaign.
It was better news for the men on Sunday with Popyrin and Hijikata joining Thanasi Kokkinakis, Jordan Thompson and Chris O’Connell to make it five Aussies in the main draw.
Popyrin dispatched China’s Yibing Wu 6-4 3-6 7-5 and his reward is an opening round clash with one of the hottest young talents in world tennis, Canadian second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Meanwhile, Hijikata progressed at the expense of fellow Aussie James Duckworth – the pair playing out an entertaining 7-5 6-4 affair into Sunday evening.
In just the second meeting between the two, 21-year-old Hijikata made it 2-0 in the head-to-head against his more seasoned compatriot.
World No. 18 Denis Shapovalov now awaits Hijikata in his Adelaide International opener.
LOCKED IN: SPECIAL Ks TO DEFEND AUS OPEN CROWN
Thanasi Kokkinakis says he’s not sure whether Nick Kyrgios will be fit to play the second week of the Adelaide International but promises the Special Ks will reunite to wow crowds on the doubles court at the Australian Open later this month.
Kokkinakis will once again play both weeks of his home Adelaide International and is set to defend his maiden ATP title in the second week.
Kyrgios is also due to play the Adelaide International, however the Aussie number one’s status remains up in the air after he pulled out of the Australian United Cup team at the final hour citing an ankle injury.
Even if the pair don’t meet on the singles court in Adelaide, Kokkinakis confirmed the Special Ks would run it back at this year’s Australian Open.
“Yeah we’ll be playing at Aussie,” he said.
“Doubles is a lot less taxing on the body and mentally it’s a little bit easier as well not having to back up and worry about singles.
“Obviously singles is our priority but I think it would be rude not to go out there and have fun with it.”
Last year’s incredible run to an improbable home Grand Slam title started as just that – a bit of fun – but quickly morphed into something much greater.
It not only spawned the ‘Special K’ moniker, but also revolutionised the profile of doubles in the space of a fortnight, drawing massive crowds and generating an atmosphere rarely rivalled outside of the singles draw.
Some traditionalists called foul on the pair’s doubles court antics but Kokkinakis said the overwhelming reception had been positive and the plan was to repeat the dose this year.
“You’ll always have people that don’t like you — it’s part of it,” he said.
“A lot of times, even if nothing happens, people will read an article or one headline and just lump you in and call you a brat for no reason, even though you haven’t done anything, so it’s pretty funny. But you can’t pay too much attention to it, that’s just part of it.
“The general feedback has been super popular, people loved it — the atmosphere was unbelievable — and hopefully we can give them something like that to cheer about again.
“Win or lose we know we’ll have a good crowd. That was our goal last year. Our goal wasn’t to win the tournament, we just wanted to enjoy ourselves out there.
“We just play because we get along well, we have fun and the crowd loves it.”
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