Second seed Tommy Paul faces his first seeded opponent in Adelaide in eighth seed Tomáš Macháč, as the two will lock horns in the semifinals. Victory for the American will see him reach his first ATP singles final since October 2024 while the Czech will reach his first title clash since last year’s Mexican Open in Acapulco.
Paul has had a good run so far in Adelaide, where he received a bye to the second seeding by virtue of his seeding. Here, the 28-year-old faced compatriot Reilly Opelka and won 6-4, 6-4 before beating Aleksandar Vukic 6-3, 6-2 to book his place in the semifinals.
Macháč entered the ATP 250 event after an opening-round exit in Brisbane at the hands of compatriot Jiří Lehečka. Like Paul, the 25-year-old is yet to drop a set at the tournament, starting with a 6-3, 6-3 win over James Duckworth. He then beat Quentin Halys 6-4, 6-2 before triumphing 6-4, 6-4 over the in-form Jaume Munar to reach his first ATP singles semifinal in almost seven months.
Tommy Paul vs. Tomáš Macháč Match Details
Date: Jan. 15, 2026
Tournament: Adelaide International 2026
Round: Semifinals
Venue: Memorial Drive Tennis Centre, Adelaide, Australia
Surface: Outdoor Hard
Category: ATP 250
Live Telecast: Tennis Channel, TSN, RDS, Sky Sports
Paul vs. Macháč Head-to-Head
Macháč has a 2-1 head-to-head lead over Paul but the American won their most recent encounter 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4 in the third round of last year’s Italian Open in Rome. That said, the Czech won both of their past
Paul vs. Macháč Prediction
Whule Paul is the higher-ranked player, Macháč has won both of their prior encounters on hard courts. So, the American is bound to have a tough task ahead of himself in Adelaide.
Paul has won 46 out of 57 points (80.7%) on his first serve so far at the ATP 250 event, serving 15 aces. He served nine aces in his last match and will look to fetch as many of those as possible against Macháč. The American also produced 36 winners compared to 22 unforced errors and won seven out of eight points at the net.
Paul loves to attack with his powerful forehand and combine that with his net game, Macháč will have a tough time coping up. Like his opponent, the Czech also has decent numbers on his first serve so far in Adelaide, winning 86 out of 110 points (78.2%) and serving 19 aces. He also amassed 76 winners and 52 unforced errors while winning 21 out of 27 net points (77.8%).
Macháč will rely heavily on his variety and aggression in order to trouble Paul. This same variety could be crucial in him defeating the American and reaching the Adelaide International final.
Pick: Macháč to win in three sets.
