World number three Dominic Thiem will look to shrug off the slow start to the season when he faces Mikhail Kukushkin in the first round of the 2021 Australian Open on Monday, February 8, with the match likely to begin at around 10 am local time (11 pm BST or 6 pm Eastern Time previous day). Get the live streaming options of this Dominic Thiem v Mikhail Kukushkin match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
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Dominic Thiem v Mikhail Kukushkin Head to Head
Thiem and Kukushkin have never played a competitive match before this.
Also Read:
Thiem Stunned at ATP Cup
Finalist at the previous Australian Open and then going on to lift the US Open title later in 2020, Thiem would have given himself a good chance of going really deep at the season’s first Grand Slam here in Melbourne. What he wouldn’t have expected is the kind of start he has had to endure.
Starting at the exhibition tournament in Adelaide, Thiem was beaten by Rafael Nadal in that encounter, although that could have been put down to playing at less than ideal levels in a match that didn’t count for too much.
What would have surprised Thiem is the manner of his loss in his opening match of the ATP Cup. Representing Austria against Italy, Thiem fell to a 6-2, 6-4 defeat at the hands of Matteo Berrettini, and while the 10th-ranked Italian is no pushover, the world number three was a clear favourite going into that encounter.
Thiem did win a set against Benoit Paire in his next match before his opponent retired from the match but would that be enough to give him the confidence moving into this opening major which has been hosted under unique quarantining conditions? The first couple of matches should give a fairer picture.
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Kukushkin in the Twilight of His Career
Now while he is only 33 and can still bounce back, Kukushkin hasn’t had the best last couple of year, culminating in 6-10 win-loss record in main draws of the 2020 season. That included a string of first round defeats and qualifier exits, leaving him struggling to remain in the top 100 of the rankings.
However, the Kazakh world number 90 would take heart from a few performances, including the third round appearance at the US Open and then a quarterfinal at the ATP Nur-Sultan competition late last year.
Kukushkin started this year with an appearance at the Murray River Open where he won his opening round match against Juan Ignacio Londero, coming back from a set down to turn things around.
He then went on to grab the first set off Stan Wawrinka, the top seed in the tournament, but fell away to a three-set defeat. Can he trouble Thiem in this opener?
Thiem v Kukushkin Prediction and Tip
While Thiem hasn’t had a great start, it looks highly unlikely he would be tested here, and a straight-set win looks a likely chance.
Tip: Thiem to win in straight sets: 1/4 (bet365)
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The 2021 Australian Open will be played from February 8 to 21. You can watch & bet on the these matches here. Get your latest premium tennis predictions here.
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