Adelaide International: Novak Djokovic’s first public appearance met with roar of approval
Spectators have flocked to Novak Djokovic’s first public practice session on Australia soil after last summer’s deportation drama. See the preliminary Adelaide International draw.
Djokovic mania is in full swing at the Adelaide International.
As Aussies James Duckworth, Rinky Hijikata and Lizette Cabrera battled through their late-afternoon qualifying matches on Saturday, spectators emptied from the outside courts once news spread that the 21-time Grand Slam champion was hitting on centre court.
Hundreds piled into Memorial Drive’s newly-minted 4000 seat arena to watch the world No. 5 five’s first public practice since his highly-anticipated return to Australia, following last summer’s deportation drama.
If he had any concerns over a frosty reception by the Aussie fans, Novak Djokovic would have been heartened by the loud cheer that rang through the arena when he stepped onto the court.
The 35-year-old beamed and applauded the crowd with his racquet before returning to his practice routine.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE PRELIMINARY DRAW
Djokovic had previously practiced on Thursday and Friday however neither session was open to the public. Saturday’s instance was the first chance fans had to glimpse the tournament’s major drawcard and the superstar Serbian’s status was immediately apparent.
Even some Adelaide Strikers fans, borrowed from the New Year’s Eve Big Bash League blockbuster at the adjacent Adelaide Oval, filed in to sneak a peek at Djokovic getting in his pre-tournament reps.
So large is the shadow Djokovic has cast over the Adelaide International that many of his rivals — big-name stars in their own right — are flying under the radar.
On Friday one photographer was even overheard asking “who is the kid” in reference to the young man hitting with Djokovic during a quiet hitting session.
The “kid” was world No. 15 Jannik Sinner — three times a Grand Slam quarter-finalist in 2022 and current protégée to South Australian tennis great, Darren Cahill.
Djokovic told media on Thursday he had moved on from the high drama of last summer and the early indications are so-too have the fans.
Tricky path to Djokovic-Kokkinakis Adelaide showdown
Hometown hero and defending Adelaide International champion Thanasi Kokkinakis will avoid meeting Novak Djokovic until the final but the Aussie ace’s route there is far from easy.
Kokkinakis drew big-serving American Maxime Cressy in Sunday’s opening round and his path to the final features sixth-seed Jannik Sinner and three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray – and that’s just to make the semis.
Djokovic declared earlier this week the strength of this year’s field was much higher than its ATP250 classification and with Saturday’s preliminary draw now in the books, the Serbian superstar’s words definitely ring true.
If Kokkinakis does reach the semis a date with Canadian second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or fifth seed Holger Rune is the likely hurdle to a possible Djokovic final.
Fellow Aussie Jordan Thompson however will have a much shorter wait to trade ground strokes with Djokovic — a round of 16 meeting is on the cards, assuming he progresses past a first-up match against Frenchman Quentin Halys.
And it doesn’t get much easier for Sydney’s Christopher O’Connell, who will likely have 2021 and 2022 Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev waiting for him in the Round of 16, should he defeat Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in the opener.
Alexei Popyrin, James Duckworth and Rinky Hijikata all kept their qualifying hopes alive with first-up wins on Saturday, however John Millman’s push to feature in the main draw came crashing down in a straight-sets defeat to Canadian Vasek Pospisil.
South Australian wildcard Edward Winter managed to take just one game off world number 92, Taro Daniel.
But the biggest shock from Saturday’s qualifying came from Dominic Thiem. The former world No. 3 — a perennial last-16 competitor at the Australian Open — was trounced 6-4 6-1 by top-ranked qualifier Soonwoo Kwon.
Five Grand Slam champions and four current top-10 players feature in an elite field on the women’s side of the draw.
Brisbane’s Priscilla Hon returns to the scene of her first top-20 scalp and will have to fight through a stacked top-half of the draw to improve on her 2022 second-round exit.
Hon marked a major career milestone last January when she came from a set down to defeat two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, before falling to former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in her next match.
The 24-year-old will face a qualifier in this year’s opening round, with world No. 8 Daria Kasatkina waiting thereafter.
Hon’s path through the draw includes 2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins and Tunisian world number two, Ons Jabeur.
Aussie wildcard entry Jaimee Fourlis also has a qualifier for company in the opening round and should she progress, a brutal second-up match in the form of Jabeur — whose path to the Round of 16 is assured courtesy of a bye.
Storm Hunter and Kim Birrell made it through their opening qualifying matches and will face Viktorija Golubic and Shelby Rogers respectively for a place in the main draw, however Lizette Cabrera’s qualifying was ended by Mayar Sherif of Egypt.
ATP250 PRELIMINARY DRAW
Novak Djokovic SRB (1) v Constant Lestienne (FRA)
Jordan Thompson AUS (WC) v Quentin Halys FRA
Mikael Ymer SWE v Qualifier
Qualifier v Denis Shapovalov CAN (7)
Daniil Medvedev (3) v Lorenzo Sonego ITA
Miomir Kecmanovic SRB v Christopher O’Connell AUS (WC)
Qualifier v Jack Draper GBR
Pedro Cachin ARG v Karen Khachanov (8)
--
Jannik Sinner ITA (6) v Kyle Edmund GBR (PR)
Thanasi Kokkinakis AUS (WC) v Maxime Cressy USA
Andy Murray GBR v Sebastian Korda USA
Robeto Bautista Agut ESP v Andrey Rublev (4)
Holger Rune DEN (5) v Yoshihito Nishioka JPN
Mackenzie McDonald USA v Daniel Elahi Galan COL
Marcos Giron USA v Richard Gasquet FRA
Qualifier v Felix Auger-Aliassime CAN (2)
WTA500 PRELIMINARY DRAW
Ons Jabeur TUN (1) BYE
Sorana Cirstea ROU v Qualifier
Jaimee Fourlis AUS (WC) v Qualifier
Elena Rybakina KAZ v Danielle Collins USA (5)
Daroa Kasatkina (3) v Qualifier
Priscilla Hon AUS (WC) v Qualifier
Qualifier v Victoria Azarenka
Qinwen Zheng CHN v Anett Kontaveit EST (6)
--
Jelena Ostapenko LAT (7) v Karolina Pliskova CZE
Irina-Camelia Begu ROU v Qualifier
Garbine Muguruza ESP (WC) v Bianca Andreescu CAN (SR)
Amanda Anisimova USA v Veronika Kudermetova (4)
Ekaterina Alexandrova (8) v Marketa Vondrousova CZE (SR)
Kaia Kanepi EST
V Aliaksandra Sasnovich
Shuai Zhang CHN v Liudmila Samsonova
Aryna Sabalenka (2) BYE
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