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Aussie favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis levels steely comeback to file his first top-50 singles win on the Australian Open since 2015.
Melbourne, Australia , 16 January 2024 | Leigh Rogers
9 years have handed since a teenage Thanasi Kokkinakis scored a shocking five-set victory at Australian Open 2015.
His emotional response after upsetting world No.13 Ernests Gulbis – which memorably included celebrating with passionate Aussie followers at Courtroom 3 – stays one of many 27-year-old’s favorite recollections.
Since then, there’s been heartbreak aplenty each on and off the court docket on the Melbourne Park. From rehabbing career-threatening accidents to crushing losses and troublesome attracts which have examined his resolve.
Nevertheless, the world No.80’s perseverance has lastly been rewarded within the opening spherical at Australian Open 2024.
Kokkinakis’ resilience was on present this night at John Cain Area, the place he staged an unimaginable comeback to file a 7-6(1) 2-6 6-7(4) 6-1 7-6(8) victory in opposition to world No.37 Sebastian Ofner.
He withstood a barrage of 77 winners from the Austrian, whereas tallying 43 of his personal, to triumph in 4 hours and 18 minutes.
“Normally I’m the one sort of dictating and hitting extra winners hopefully than my opponent,” Kokkinakis famous. “Generally he was sort of taking it to me, and I bought a little bit passive.
“It was only a battle … He confirmed why he’s a 30-something on this planet participant. He’s excellent.”
It snaps a three-match shedding streak in Australian Open five-set battles, stretching again to his main breakthrough in 2015, and is Kokkinakis’ first top-50 singles win on the event since then too.
“I do know it’s a primary spherical, however this one means so much,” Kokkinakis stated.
Kokkinakis’ reward is a second-round showdown with world No.13 Grigor Dimitrov. The in-form Bulgarian is on a six-match profitable streak this summer time after scooping the Brisbane Worldwide title.
“Grigor is a hell of a participant. He’s been doing this for some time and he’s in some nice kind proper now,” Kokkinakis acknowledged.
“However I again myself. I’ve overwhelmed higher-ranked gamers earlier than, I’ve misplaced to lower-ranked gamers. It’s a quantity, it’s about popping out on the day and enjoying my finest tennis, so hopefully I can do this.”
Earlier at this time, Max Purcell recorded his first main-draw singles win on the Australian Open. The world No.45 made his long-awaited breakthrough with a four-set victory over Hungarian qualifier Mate Valkusz.
> BUY NOW: Australian Open 2024 tickets
Aussies in motion – Australian Open
TODAY’S RESULTS
Males’s singles, first spherical
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) d Sebastian Ofner (AUT) 7-6(1) 2-6 6-7(4) 7-6(8)
Max Purcell (AUS) d [Q] Mate Valkusz (HUN) 3-6 7-6(2) 6-4 7-5
Alex Michelsen (USA) d [WC] James McCabe (AUS) 7-6(5) 3-6 6-1 6-2
Girls’s singles, first spherical
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) d Petra Martic (CRO) 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4
[11] Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) d [WC] Kimberly Birrell (AUS) 7-6(5) 6-1
Sloane Stephens (USA) d [WC] Olivia Gadecki (AUS) 6-3 6-1
COMING UP
Males’s singles, second spherical
[10] Alex de Minaur (AUS) v Matteo Arnaldi (ITA)
Alexei Popyrin (AUS) v [1] Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Jordan Thompson (AUS) v [7] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE)
Max Purcell (AUS) v [11] Casper Ruud (NOR)
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) v [13] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)
Chris O’Connell (AUS) v [16] Ben Shelton (USA)
> VIEW: Australian Open 2024 males’s singles draw
Girls’s singles, second spherical
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) v [11] Jelena Ostapenko (LAT)
[Q] Storm Hunter (AUS) v Laura Siegemund (GER)
> VIEW: Australian Open 2024 ladies’s singles draw
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