The only quarter-final to go is Thursday in Adelaide with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beating Valentin Vacherot. Tommy Paul and Aleksandar Vukic are also targeting a place in the last four.
(1) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs. (5) Valentin Vacherot
Davidovich Fokina and Vacherot will be facing each other for the second time in their careers when they clash in the quarterfinals of the Adelaide International on Thursday. Their only previous meeting came in the first round of the 2024 French Open, with Davidovich Fokina winning 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (2).
Of course, that was before Vacherot came out in the fall of 2025. The 27-year-old from Monaco won the Shanghai Masters without following it up with a quarterfinal appearance in Paris. Vacherot was beaten early in Brisbane by Sebastian Korda, but opened in Adelaide with a straight-sets victory over Miomir Kecamanovic and then got a walkover from Thanasi Kokkinakis. Davidovich Fokina got a chance to open as the top seed and eliminated Rinky Hijikata 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday. The pressure is on Davidovich Fokina to not only win this match but also take his first ATP title. An in-form Vacherot has a good chance of pulling off a minor upset.
Pick: Vacherot at 3
(Q) Aleksandar Vukic vs. (2) Tommy Paul
Paul did not play after the US Open last season due to a foot injury that had plagued him in 2025. This is why the American player, 28, is outside the top 20, so he will be eager to regain his place in the top 10. 6-4, 6-4 loss to Reilly Opelka on Wednesday.
Next up for the second seed is a first-ever match against Vukic, who has advanced with wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrea Vavassori. The 87th-ranked Aussie bounces back from a 6-2, 6-2 deficit against Frances Tiafoe in the first round in Brisbane. Vukic may have a good home court advantage, but this is probably not his matchup against a tough opponent who also uses both a lot of firepower and a variety of other types.
Pick: Paul at 3
