Adelaide teen Thanasi Kokkinakis in world spotlight as he makes Australian Open debut

AS THE eyes of the tennis world descend upon Melbourne Park for the Australian Open, an Adelaide teenager is nervously awaiting his chance to take centre stage.

Adelaide teen in world spotlight

AS THE eyes of the tennis world descend upon Melbourne Park for the Australian Open today, a teenager from Adelaide's southern suburbs is nervously awaiting his chance to take centre stage.

Thanasi Kokkinakis will make his Grand Slam debut tomorrow against little-known Dutchman Igor Sijsling, almost 17 years to the day after another Adelaide teenager entered Grand Slam tennis.

Lleyton Hewitt was beaten by two-time French Open champion Sergi Bruguera that day but it marked the start of a glittering career, which will continue to play out tomorrow when he plays 24th-seeded Italian Andreas Seppi.

Kokkinakis, 17, and raised in Seacombe Heights, is arguably the best prospect in Australian tennis since his idol former World No. 1, Wimbledon and US Open champion Hewitt.

"I think every Australian tennis player at the moment grew up idolising him (Hewitt),'' says Kokkinakis.

"He's done ridiculously good things for tennis and for sport in general in Australia."

Sijsling, the world No. 73, is Kokkinakis' focus, and a win could book a possible date on Rod Laver Arena with world No. 1 Rafael Nadal.

"A lot of people have said 'wow, if you win your first round you get to play Rafa or (Bernard) Tomic' but I've got to focus on the first one because the guy I'm playing is a bloody good player,'' Kokkinakis said.