Adelaide International 2020 preview: Grand Slam champions in plentiful supply
The Adelaide International is a new tournament for 2020, replacing the Sydney International. Both the WTA and ATP will feature, ahead of the Australian Open later this month.
Adelaide, known as Australia’s wine capital, is a city that has tennis history. It hosted the World Tennis Challenge from 2009 – 2019, which was an exhibition tournament that took place at Memorial Drive Park. It featured matches between legends such as, among many other illustrious names, John McEnroe and Patrick Rafter.
Following the removal of the Hopman Cup last year, Adelaide again had the opportunity to become part of the tennis calendar. An 11million$AU project to construct a roof over Memorial Drive Park was rubber-stamped shortly afterwards.
Men’s singles
As an ATP250-level tournament, the draw in the men’s singles is not as star-studded as it could be.
Great Britain’s Dan Evans will aim for his first career title and has looked impressive recently. He helped Britain to the quarter-finals of the ATP Cup and the semis of the Davis Cup. In his opening match, the British number one will play Alexander Bublik.
Young Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime is also expected to excel, despite not having the best start to the year. He lost three of his ATP Cup matches, but his talent is unquestionable. Auger-Aliassime is in the same half of the draw as Evans, so they could well meet in the semi-finals.
Andrey Rublev will be a threat for the title coming off his recent championship victory at the Qatar Open, and former Wimbledon semi-finalist Sam Querrey will also be one to look out for. Local favourite Alex De Minaur was a late withdrawal with injury, though.
Ladies singles
The ladies draw, on the other hand, is packed with Grand Slam champions since Adelaide is a Premier event on the WTA calendar.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Simona Halep will compete in her first tournament of the year and will take on Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic first. Home fans will hold out considerably more hope for Ashleigh Barty, with the world number one hoping to recover from her shock loss to Jennifer Brady in Brisbane.
Angelique Kerber, the 2016 Australian Open champion, will also aim to regain her confidence after losing in the first round of the Brisbane International. She could be tested against big-hitter Dayana Yastremska, who has beaten big names in the past.
Belinda Bencic and Sofia Kenin are also players to take note of. Both are ranked inside the top 20 and had a strong 2019. Kenin will play rising star Danielle Collins in an all-American affair, while Bencic could face Julia Goerges.
Where is the tournament held?
The Adelaide International will take place at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre in South Australia
What dates does the tournament run?
January 13th to January 18th, 2020
What court surface is the tournament played on?
The event is played on outdoor hard courts
How many players and how many seeds are in the tournament?
There are a total of 30 women in the singles and 28 men in the singles. There will be eight seeded men’s players and seven seeded women’s players.
Men’s singles prize money:
Winner – $91,625
Finalist – $50,710
Semi-finalist – $28,540
Quarter-finalist – $16,250
Second round – $9,320
First round – $5,450
Ladies singles prize money:
Winner – $146,500
Finalist – $78,160
Semi-finalist – $41,675
Quarter-finalist – $22,400
Second round – $12,000
First round – $6,550
ATP Rankings Points, Singles:
Winner – 250 points
Finalist – 150 points
Semi-finalist – 90 points
Quarter-finalist – 45 points
Second round – 20 points
First round – Zero points
WTA Rankings Points, Singles:
Winner – 470 points
Finalist – 305 points
Semi-finalist – 185 points
Quarter-finalist – 100 points
Second round – 55 points
First round – One point
Where can I buy tickets for the tournament?
You can secure tickets for this year’s Adelaide International on https://www.ticketmaster.com.au/adelaide-international-tickets/artist/2680298
How can I follow the tournament without going there?
You can watch the tournament on Amazon prime video.
You can also follow the tournament through their official Twitter here https://twitter.com/adelaidetennis?lang=en
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