Valentin Vacherot vs Thanasi Kokkinakis Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Another marathon Kokkinakis match in Adelaide

One year removed from revolutionary pectoral surgery, Kokkinakis enjoyed a triumphant return to tennis earlier this week, upsetting Sebastian Korda in a deciding set tiebreak. However, injuries have plagued Kokkinakis his entire career and his troublesome shoulder flared up midway through the match, requiring frequent visits from the trainer. Somehow, Kokkinakis managed to grind out a victory, but there is some doubt now over his health for the remainder of the tournament and next week's Australian Open. Meanwhile, Vacherot put together one of the most extraordinary weeks in the history of modern tennis last year when he won the Shanghai Masters as an alternate in qualifying - and now the challenge of backing that result up and establishing himself on the main tour begins.

Look, everything points to a Vacherot victory here - Kokkinakis didn't hit the practice court yesterday and was on the painkillers, trying to recover as best he could. However, considering this is Adelaide and his home tournament, there is a chance the Aussie will play through the pain - and he proved he can still play some blistering tennis. These two players have a history of long matches (especially the Kokk in Adelaide), so Over 22.5 games is the play, while Kokkinakis offers value for the upset - and if he retires, depending on your bookmaker of choice, money back.

Vacherot will now experience his first full season on the main tour after his stunning exploits at the Shanghai Masters catapulted him from outside the top 100 and into the world's top 30, along with a seeding for the upcoming Australian Open.

Incredible to think that Vacherot will be seeded in his Australian Open main draw debut, with his best ever result at the slam prior being a second round qualifying exit last year.

The 27-year-old actually did a great job in backing up his Shanghai title, reaching the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters to end 2025.

Vacherot was edged out 7-6 6-3 by Seb Korda in the opening round of Brisbane last week, but got off the mark in Adelaide with a solid 7-6 6-4 victory over Miomir Kecmanovic.

As you can see, Kokkinakis has barely played any tennis over the last 12 months, undergoing career-threatening pectoral surgery after last year's Australian Open in a bid to finally play pain-free.

The jury is still out on that after Kokkinakis - while scripting a memorable comeback victory over Korda in his Adelaide opener - favoured his shoulder from the second set.

The 29-year-old managed to outlast Korda, prevailing 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 and blasting 38 winners in the process.

But all eyes were on Kokkinakis' troublesome shoulder, which affects him mostly when serving. The Adelaide native - who has now won 15 of his 19 matches at this tournament - will most likely need painkillers to take the court for his second round here.

Watch and bet on Valentin Vacherot vs Thanasi Kokkinakis live Adelaide tennis.

You can watch and bet on the match live at Unibet > Tennis > ATP Adelaide with the action available to stream on desktop and mobile.

Geo-restrictions apply, you'll need a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours to gain access. 18+ terms and conditions apply.