Is Kovacevic continuing on his momentum?

Really good in Brisbane and full of confidence, could Kovacevic be a potential dark horse to win here?

He’s going to have to play his best tennis right from the first round anyway, he’s got some seriously tough stuff waiting for him. Medjedovic is the worst qualifier you can get, and even without that status, not many people are keen to play him to begin with. His serve is monstrous, he has phenomenal power on both sides, he moves relatively well for his size (he slides well). For me he’s top 30 every day when his brain is switched on. He destroyed Svrcina and Bellucci in qualies, he still overuses drop shots when things get tight but the rest is excellent, there’s nothing to say. In this kind of match‑up he’s supposed to have the advantage against a one‑handed backhand, handling the weight of his shot is tough by default but here it should be even harder for Kova. The conditions are slower than in Brisbane and less perfect too, there’s a bit of wind, Kovacevic will have to adapt quickly while keeping a high level of play. His one‑handed backhand in the wind is something I really don’t like, and after a great week I’m more inclined to see him crash and burn this time. I don’t absolutely want to lay him either, careful, he played very well and could maintain a high level for several weeks BUT this draw is bad for him and he’s really not the favorite in this match in my opinion. Once again I hope the in‑form player from last week will be priced very low so we can potentially lay him!