No. 2 seed Sebastian Korda takes the court in Adelaide against Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Wednesday, while crowd favorite and former champion Thanasi Kokkinakis battles Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs. (2) Sebastian Korda

To say that this has been an unfavorable historic matchup for Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina would be underselling the scoreline. In their two previous meetings, Sebastian Korda has won 6-1, 6-1 and 6-2, 6-1. Korda had an unfortunate end to an otherwise promising 2024 season, with the 24-year-old American forced to undergo elbow surgery following his appearance at the U.S. Open–where he lost in straight sets in the second round to Tomas Machac. Wednesday’s match against Davidovich Fokina marks his first match back since his autumn recovery.

Davidovich Fokina is probably as favorable an opponent as Korda could have hoped for. The world No. 68 comes into the 2025 season off a miserable 2024 in which he posted a losing record (18-22), no titles, and failure to make it out of qualies at the Paris Masters. He defeated countryman Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round this week, but even a rusty Korda poses a bigger threat than the veteran Spaniard. While Korda may have to play himself into form after a layoff, the American frequently finds himself coming back from injury and illness; he knows how to shake off the rust.

Cheryl pick: Korda in 3

Ricky pick: Davidovich Fokina in 3

(8) Tomas Martin Etcheverry vs. (WC) Thanasi Kokkinakis

Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis has been plagued with injuries throughout his career. The 28-year-old appears healthy though and ready to play in front of an appreciative crowd. He was given a wild card into Adelaide, a testament to his popularity at home. The World No. 77 closed out his 2024 season with an encouraging win at the Sydney Challenger before beating Ben Shelton in Davis Cup action. Kokkinakis earned his spot in the last 16 this week with a solid win over Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round.

Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry endured a rough end to the 2024 season. The world No. 39 performed well during clay season but racked up a series of losses through the summer and fall hard-court swings. Given the home-court advantage for the Aussie and Etcheverry’s preference for clay, this is a possible upset–although admittedly one that would not be surprising in the least.

Cheryl pick: Kokkinakis in 3

Ricky pick: Kokkinakis in 3