Similarities

It's like looking into a mirror...

What do I mean by that? Both players share the same strengths and weaknesses. They rely heavily on their serves and forehands, by far their biggest weapons. They prefer fast conditions, where they get the most out of these. Both of them prefer staying at the baseline and try to hide their backhands, which are below average. Vukic is the more accomplished player and is, of course, going to be very familiar and comfortable in conditions that suit him, at home. He is coming off a great run in Adelaide, where he won 4 matches before losing to Paul (a hard matchup) in the quarterfinals! So, he'll definitely be entering this match with good confidence. Tirante also played in Adelaide, and while he had a good match against De Jong in the opening round, he got manhandled by Vavassori and his slices in the next one. Tirante is not really a regular on the ATP tour, more of a high-level challenger player... but he is still young and "hungry"! His game is a bit too basic at times, and he is not a good problem solver (players with variety give him fits). In addition to that, he can become a bit too emotional and let that affect his game.

Vukic is known for making matches competitive when he is an underdog in Grand Slams. While his game is very reliable due to its simple nature, he can struggle when he is a favorite with expectations. Could that be the case in this match? He is facing a player who has the same weapons as him and perhaps a similar amount of skill/talent. Vukic does have an advantage with his form and experience, but the margins become a lot smaller when this is what you have to rely on...