Thanasi Kokkinakis served up a treat for the home fans at the Adelaide International 2 on Wednesday, when the Australian downed top seed Andrey Rublev 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals at the ATP 250 event.

Kokkinakis held off a mid-match resurgence from Rublev to notch the third Top 10 victory of his career in one hour, 57 minutes. The Australian, who lifted an ATP 250 trophy in Adelaide in 2022, now has an 11-2 tour-level record in his hometown across 2022 and 2023 — no other player has won more matches there in that timeframe.

“I’ve had my best memories on this court,” said Kokkinakis in his on-court interview. “Last year was an incredible feeling. It’s something that you dream of as a kid, and to play in front of you guys in this atmosphere, it’s incredible.”

Kokkinakis took advantage of an error-strewn first-set display from Rublev to move ahead in the pair’s first tour-level meeting. Despite the top seed battling back to claim the second set, Kokkinakis remained largely dominant behind his serve as he fired 17 aces and won 86 per cent (38/44) of points behind his first delivery to blunt Rublev’s powerful return game.

“It’s a big part of my game,” said Kokkinakis. “If I’m serving well, I feel like I have a chance to beat a lot of guys. Especially when the new balls came, I tried to take a little bit of pace off my serve and really try and land it, hit the spot. Fortunately, there were a few unreturnables.”

Kokkinakis claimed the only break of the deciding set in the fourth game to set up his victory. His next opponent will be Miomir Kecmanovic, who earlier dashed hopes of an all-Australian quarter-final in Adelaide by completing a 5-7, 7-6(1), 6-4 comeback win against Jason Kubler.

Soonwoo Kwon also notched a major upset on Wednesday by taking out second seed and World No. 15 Pablo Carreno Busta for the second Top 20 win of his career.

The 25-year-old Kwon, who fell to Tomas Machac in the final round of qualifying in Adelaide before beating the Czech as a lucky loser in the first round, converted three of seven break points to register his first victory against Carreno Busta in three tour-level meetings. The South Korean will face Mikael Ymer in his maiden quarter-final appearance in Adelaide, after the Swede prevailed 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-3 against Mackenzie McDonald.

Cameron Norrie maintained his unbeaten start to the 2023 season on Wednesday at the ASB Classic in Auckland, where the second-seeded Briton fended off a stiff second-round challenge from Czech rising star Jiri Lehecka to reach the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3 victory.

The persistent stop-start rain that has affected the schedule this week in the New Zealand capital was again a factor in Wednesday’s play, and Norrie found himself in a second-round battle after 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals runner-up Lehecka produced a strong second-set tie-break to force a deciding set in a match featuring several interruptions and eventually a move indoors due to the weather.

“It was nice to get it out of the way,” said Norrie, who is now 4-0 for 2023, after his two-hour, 45-minute win at the ATP 250 event. “It’s tough on the concentration, obviously throughout the match I had to stop and start, even on the court. You’re constantly thinking if you’re going to slip on the lines and it’s not easy.”

SO close, SO good! 🙌@jirilehecka | @cam_norrie | @ASB_Classic | #ASBClassic pic.twitter.com/tVj9VAMUMt

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 11, 2023

As well as navigating the tough conditions, Norrie was delighted to come through his opening match in the country where he lived from the age of two to 16.

“Obviously, there were [some] nerves in me,” said Norrie. “Coming back to New Zealand I wanted to play well in front of everyone, and Jiri’s a great player. So, it was not easy, and credit to him in that second set for playing a really good tie-break. He really took it to me, but I really enjoyed the time on the court.

“[It is] good to be back in New Zealand, just a little bit disappointed I couldn’t talk in front of everyone. Everyone was very patient with the rain, not just us, but I’ll take the win and nice to serve it out the way I did in the end.”

Jenson Brooksby had earlier advanced to the quarter-finals on tournament debut after third seed Diego Schwartzman was forced to retire from the pair’s second-round clash with the American having taken the first set 6-1. Brooksby will meet Frenchman Quentin Halys, a 6-3, 6-2 winner against #NextGenATP American Ben Shelton, in the last eight.

With the rain forcing the evening session to take place indoors, David Goffin downed qualifier Christopher Eubanks 6-2, 6-4 to set a quarter-final meeting with Richard Gasquet, who booked his last-eight spot on event debut with a 7-6(2), 6-2 win against Joao Sousa.

Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi enjoyed a taste of big-stage tennis at the Next Gen ATP Finals last season, and the 21-year-old is on the brink of another milestone moment after advancing to the final round of Australian Open qualifying. With a 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 win against home favourite Alex Bolt on Wednesday, the 22nd seed moved within one victory of his Grand Slam debut.

Arnaldi is making his third attempt to qualify for a major after falling one match short at the US Open last season. He will face another Australian next in Max Purcell, who won the 2022 Australian Open doubles title with countryman Matthew Ebden.

The 24-year-old Purcell — who was the beneficiary of a retirement from second seed Marco Cecchinato his first qualifying match — was a 6-4, 7-5 winner against Damir Dzumhur on Wednesday. He is seeking his second main-draw singles appearance at his home Slam after his debut in 2020.

American Brandon Holt is bidding to qualify for his second consecutive major after winning three three-setters to earn his place in the US Open main draw. The 24-year-old, a former college star at the University of Souther California, defeated Gastao Elias 6-2, 7-6(5) on Wednesday to set up a final-round matchup against Marco Trungelliti. 

Holt made the most of his opportunity at the US Open as he scored one of the upsets of the 2022 season, stunning countryman Taylor Fritz in four first-round sets.

Zizou Bergs, seeded 20th, and 21st seed Aleksandar Vukic also advanced in early Wednesday action. Belgium’s Bergs defeated Tomas Barrios Vera 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, while Australia’s Vukic downed Thiago Agustin Tirante 7-6(4), 6-3.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal returns to the Australian Open as its top seed as he bids for a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam men’s singles title. But nine-time champion Novak Djokovic is hot on his heels and will hope to draw level with Nadal on 22 major crowns. The Serbian is preparing for his first competitive action at Melbourne Park since winning the 2021 title.

While world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz will miss out with a right-leg injury, Daniil Medvedev carries unfinished business into the year’s first Grand Slam after being turned back in each of the past two finals. Casper Ruud is slated to be the No. 2 seed as he targets his third final in four majors, with two-time semi-finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas just behind him as the No. 3 seed.

Nadal, Ruud, Tsitsipas and Djokovic all have an opportunity to leave Melbourne atop the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Here’s all you need to know about the Australian Open: when is the draw, what is the schedule, where to watch, who has won, how to buy tickets and more.

Established: 1905

Tournament Dates: 16-29 January 2023

Tournament Director: Craig Tiley

Draw Ceremony: Thursday, 12 January – Time TBA

Schedule
* Qualifying: Monday, 9 January – Thursday, 12 January
* Main Draw: Daily play begins at 11:00am from Monday 16 January
* Doubles Final: Saturday, 28 January
* Singles Final: Sunday, 29 January at 7:30 p.m.

How To Watch
Broadcasters

Venue: Melbourne Park

Prize Money: AUD $34,848,000

2023 Australian Open Singles Prize Money (Men & Women)

2023 Australian Open Doubles Prize Money (Men & Women per team)

Tickets On Sale: Buy Now

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds

Honour Roll (Open Era)
Most Titles, Singles: Novak Djokovic (9)
Most Titles, Doubles: Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan (6)
Oldest Champion: Ken Rosewall, 37, in 1972
Youngest Champion: Mats Wilander, 19, in 1983
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 212 Mark Edmondson in1976
Most Match Wins: Roger Federer (102)

2022 Finals
Singles: [5] Rafael Nadal (ESP) d [2] Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5  Read & Watch
Doubles: Thanasi Kokkinakis / Nick Kyrgios d Matthew Ebden / Max Purcell 7-5, 6-4  Read More

Social

Hashtag: #AusOpen
Facebook: @AustralianOpen
Twitter: @AustralianOpen
Instagram: @australianopen

After reaching three ATP Tour quarter-finals last season, Jack Draper advanced to his first of 2023 with a 6-4 6-4 win against Tommy Paul Wednesday at the Adelaide International 2.

The Briton’s win against the eighth-seeded American earned him the chance to atone for his loss to Karen Khachanov last week in Adelaide — the third-seeded Khachanov defeated Marc-Andrea Huesler 6-4, 6-4 later in the day to set a quarter-final clash with the 21-year-old Draper.

Well established as a strong server with his 6-foot-4 frame, Draper has excelled on return this week. After breaking four times in his opening victory against Lorenzo Sonego, he converted on three of five break chances against Paul, who was playing in his first event of the new season.

Broken just once, Draper fired 10 aces and won 88 per cent of his first-serve points in the win.

Also in early Wednesday action, seventh seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina advanced with a 6-3, 6-3 win against home favourite John Millman. He will next face fellow Spaniard and second seed Roberto Bautista Agut, who downed Dutch lucky loser Robin Haase 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.