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One of the many eccentricities of Adrian Mannarino is the Frenchman’s refusal to learn the identity of his next opponent for as long as he can hold out. To him, it is unnecessary information that only creates more tension, and so before each match he works hard to keep that knowledge at bay.
It is not easy. In Melbourne alone, he found out his second-round opponent when his driver wished him luck against Jaume Munar. Before another contest, he was just checking the time of a friend’s match when he received a surprise: “Actually watching the screen, I saw my match,” he said. “I was like, ‘Wow, now I know.’”