Thanasi Kokkinakis to play for The Drive in next month’s Asia-Pacific Tennis League

EMERGING star Thanasi Kokkinakis will use the Asia-Pacific Tennis League as preparation for a big Australian summer.

EMERGING star Thanasi Kokkinakis is using the Asia-Pacific Tennis League as preparation for a big Australian summer.

Kokkinakis, 18, last month signed with Memorial Drive-based outfit The Drive for the modified teams tournament, which kicks off on November 22.

It comes on the back of a breakthrough year for the Seacombe Heights youngster, whose ranking has climbed from outside the top 600 to 172 since the end of December.

“This is a great pick up for the team and the profile of the ATL and we are really excited to have Thanasi on board,” The Drive coach Luke Smith said.

Joining The Drive in the men’s division of the ATL South West Conference are last year’s SA champion Trinity Titans and the North East Tennis Association, which is making its debut.

Flagstaff Freighters – runners-up in the last national tournament and winners in 2012/13 – will again headline the women’s competition.

Jess Moore (ranked 11th in Australia), Viktorija Rajicic (ranked 13th) and Bojana Bobusic will lead the Freighters.

“I am really looking forward to again being part of this great team and hopefully we can again progress to the finals in Melbourne,” Moore said.

The Drive will also field a women’s team featuring South Africans Chanel Simmonds, ranked 309 in the world, and Michelle Sammons, ranked 710th, as well as locals Leah Daw and Alex Cannizzaro.

Trinity Titans is the third women’s team from SA.

The South West Conference will also feature WA outfits.

The conference final is on December 5 and the national tournament is in January.