Adelaide International 2024 Predictions & Preview + Hobart & Auckland Tips

Predictions, tips & preview to the second week of the 2024 ATP and WTA tennis season with matches to be played in Adelaide, Hobart & Auckland.

As we start a new season of tennis, we preview the four ATP and WTA tournaments to be played this second week of the season. Rybakina Starts a Favourite in Adelaide; Shelton, Mertens Expected to Do Well in Auckland and Hobart.

WTA Adelaide 2024 Preview & Tips

In-form Elena Rybakina is the top seed and the tournament favourite at the WTA 500 in Adelaide this week.

At the time of writing the preview on Saturday, the Kazakh extended her 2024 winning streak to 4-0, when she defeated Linda Noskova in the semifinal of Brisbane International. She is slated to face either Aryna Sabalenka or Victoria Azarenka in the final on Sunday.

Currently ranked no. 4 in the world, Rybakina is coming off a 47-17 season in 2023, which included a run to the final at the Australian Open.

So, the Kazakh tends to do well Down Under and will look to carry her Brisbane form to Adelaide, where she was a runner-up to Ash Barty in 2022.

What needs to be seen, however, is whether Rybakina will be up for the challenge of featuring in two tournaments in a row in the lead-up to the Australian Open.

While Rybakina leads the top half, Jessica Pegula is the top player in the bottom half. Seeded no. 2, the American is coming off a 1-1 result at the United Cup.

Short on match practice, Pegula will hope to fine tune her game in Adelaide so she could head to Melbourne in good shape for the first Grand Slam of the season.

However, she faces a tough road to the finals, with a potential quarterfinal against fifth seed Beatriz Haddad Maia and a potential semifinal against fourth seed Barbora Krejcikova a possibility.

Although seeded higher, both Haddad Maia, who comes in with a 1-1 record at the United Cup, and Krejcikova, who will be playing her first tournament this season, can expect some tough competition from the likes of Liudmila Samsonova, Daria Kasatkina and Karolina Pliskova in the bottom half.

The latter two tend to do well in Australia and Kasatkina is coming off a run to the quarterfinals in Brisbane.

For top seed Rybakina, the road to the finals could include a potential quarterfinal against eighth seed Veronika Kudermetova and a potential semifinal against the 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova. Both of those players are off to a 1-1 start in 2024.

One unseeded player to watch out for in the tournament is Caroline Garcia.

The dangerous Frenchwoman is coming off a 3-1 run in the United Cup and has the potential of taking out a few seeds in Adelaide. She is in Rybakina’s half and faces a potential quarterfinal against Vondrousova.

WTA Adelaide International Tips & Odds:

Pegula to reach finals

The full-fledged tournament information, player-list, preview and ticketing options for the WTA Adelaide International 2024 can be found here.

ATP Adelaide 2024 Preview & Tips

Adelaide will also host the ATP 250 event this week, with last year’s Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul starting as the top seed and the favourite to win the title.

The American, who has not played yet in 2024, had a 46-29 run last year, which also included his first ATP 1000 semifinal in addition to his first major final four appearance in Melbourne.

Additionally, he also finished as a runner-up in two tournaments, having featured in just one ATP final before, which fetched him his only title in Stockholm in 2021.

While the world no. 13 Paul is the top seed, he will have some tough competition in the tournament. Leading the bottom half will be Nicolas Jarry, who is unbeaten this year, having won both his matches at the United Cup.

The Chilean, ranked no. 19 in the world, is also coming off a fine 2023, having won two titles in Chile and Geneva. But Jarry’s best comes on clay, so it will be interesting to see if the second seed can deliver on hard courts. He has never played in a hard court final at the ATP level.

Other players in the draw, who will be fancying their chances include third seed Sebastian Korda and fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti.

While the former is coming off a first-round exit from Brisbane, Musetti got through his opening round in Hong Kong, but fell in the round of 16. Both will be eager to shakeoff the slow starts and find form ahead of the Australian Open.

Korda is more likely to do that as he has a decent record in Australia and was a finalist in Adelaide last year. However, he could not go all the way to the title as he was beaten in the final by Novak Djokovic.

Korda was also a quarterfinalist at the Australian Open last year, which was his first ever last eight finish at a Grand Slam. So the 23-year-old world no. 24 could go on to win the title. However, he could be up against Nicolas Jarry in a potential semifinal.

Other players, who will be looking to impress in Adelaide include Sebastian Baez, who is in the top half of the draw and could face Paul in the quarterfinal; and last year’s semifinalist Yoshihito Nishioka, who is in the bottom half and could face Korda in a potential quarterfinal.

Last year, Nishioka had pulled out of the second set in the semifinal against Korda.

Also in the mix is last year’s Australian Open quarterfinalist Jiri Lehecka. The seventh seed, who went 0-2 at the United Cup, is in the bottom half and could face Jarry in a potential quarterfinal.

Having taken Novak Djokovic to three sets at the United Cup, Jarry will have some confidence behind him in Adelaide. Keep an eye on him as we are backing him to make the semis.

ATP Adelaide International Tips & Odds:

Korda to reach the final

Get the entire tournament information, player-list, preview and ticketing options for the ATP Adelaide International 2024 can be found here.

ATP Auckland 2024 Preview & Tips

In other ATP action this week, Ben Shelton will be looking to get his Aussie Open preparations on track with a solid display in Auckland.

The top seed, who impressed with a run to the quarterfinals in the Melbourne major last year, lost his season opener in Brisbane, but is still the favourite in Auckland.

The 21-year-old world no. 17 could face a potential final against second seed Briton Cameron Norrie.

While also in the mix is Felix Auger-Aliassime, who usually does well down under, but is coming off an up and down 2023.

ATP Auckland Tips & Odds

Norrie to reach the final

Read the in-depth Auckland Open 2024 Preview, Player List & Ticketing Options Here.

WTA Hobart 2024 Preview & Tips

This week will also see the WTA 250 in Hobart, where two-time champion Elise Mertens is the top seed.

The Belgian, ranked no. 30 in the world, won her first two titles in Hobart in 2017 and 2018. While she has a tough opener against 2022 Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins, she is expected to do well in the tournament.

Second seed Emma Navarro may not be the frontrunner but given her run to the semis in the season opener in Auckland this week, Hobart could see her reach a first WTA final. Also keep an eye on sixth seed Sofia Kenin.

The 2020 Aussie Open winner won the title here in 2019 and could give some of the higher seeds a run for their money.

WTA Hobart International Tips & Odds:

Navarro to reach semifinal

Read the in-depth Hobart International 2024 Preview, Player List & Ticketing Options Here.