El fuerte comienzo de Kovačević

Aleksandar hizo un cambio de entrenador en la temporada baja...

And it seems to be paying off so far, partnering with respected David Witt. Kovacevic needs to really maximize his performance on hardcourts because, with his game, he struggles on natural surfaces. Unfortunately, he got a rather tough opening draw against a fellow American. Tommy Paul had a decent week in Adelaide, comfortably disposing of Opelka and Vukic before losing in a decider to the in-form Machac. Paul has an exceptional record in the first rounds of Grand Slams (15-1 ML, 14-2 HCP). He is such a tough opponent for lower-ranked players, and he seems to have the ability to really focus from the start (he is the opposite in smaller tournaments).

This will not be an easy opening round for Kovacevic, that's for sure! I do like the fact that he is coming in here with some self-belief and that he can do some damage in these conditions. Paul can struggle sometimes in the key moments, especially against players who serve big (as seen against Mpetshi Perricard as a recent example)... he is a great returner but can be sloppy with his own service in a game or in the TBs. So it goes without saying that Kovacevic needs to be really sharp on serve here, because Paul is most likely going to be the better and more consistent baseliner. If he finds his rhythm and you don't have offensive weapons to push him, it's really hard to beat his athleticism and solid shotmaking from both wings...