Thanasi Kokkinakis withdraws from Adelaide International to deal with injury ahead of Australian Open
Thanasi Kokkinakis has pulled out of the Adelaide International ahead of his quarterfinal clash with second seed Sebastian Korda due to a shoulder injury as he eyes his Australian Open run.
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Thanasi Kokkinakis has pulled out of the Adelaide International ahead of his Thursday night quarterfinal clash with second seed Sebastian Korda due to a shoulder injury.
The hometown hero sustained the injury during his epic 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 round of 16 win over Argentinian Tomas Martin Etcheverry on Wednesday.
While he tried to be fit for his quarterfinal matchup, Kokkinakis said he was in worse condition on Thursday morning.
“First of all, a massive apologies to the fans, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be playing,” he said.
“Unfortunately I was in a lot of pain last night playing through an injury which has kept me out for many years and it just crept up on me.
“I pulled up even worse this morning so I’m pretty flat about that but I’m already looking forward to next year – the place was rocking last night, there’s no court that puts a feeling into me like this one here does. “The next goal for me is to try and see if I can be ready for next week (Australian Open), I’ve got a few days still to recover.”
The 28-year-old Adelaide native put on a show on Wednesday night, pulling out a whopping 23 aces and a number of big forehand and backhand winners to oust Etcheverry in front of a raucous home crowd.
He told this masthead he was concerned about the shoulder injury after the three-set clash with the world No. 36.
“My shoulder didn’t feel great there to be honest,” he said
“It’s the injury I’ve worked the hardest to try and get right and it’s something I’ve played through for a while so we’ll see how I recover.
“It’s going to be tough, I’ve obviously got one eye on tomorrow (Thursday) and one eye on next week as well.”
While Kokkinakis now faces a race to be fit for next week’s Australian open, American world No. 22 Sebastian Korda will move through to Friday’s semi final and face Miomir Kecmanovic after the Serbian dealt with Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi in straight sets on Thursday.
Kokkinakis’ exit from the Adelaide International means there are no Australians remaining in the men’s and women’s singles draws.
KEYS’ IMPRESSIVE RETURN
American star Madison Keys continued an impressive return to form at the Adelaide International on Thursday with a convincing straight sets quarter final win over Daria Kasatkina.
It took less than an hour for Keys to storm through her world No. 9 opponent on centre court at Memorial Drive, the world No. 20 winning 6-1, 6-3.
Keys backed up her round of 16 win over reigning Adelaide International champion Jelena Ostapenko with an even better display, serving flawlessly and dominating Kasatkina in a number of rallies with powerful groundstrokes to take the first set in quick fashion.
The second set was much of the same for the former world No. 7 as she took the early break and held firm on serve to seal the match.
“I don’t think there were many things I did wrong,” Keys said of her display.
“I hit a lot of lines and I’m very happy with my performance and excited to come back tomorrow.”
Keys will face Liudmila Samsonova in her Friday semi final after the Russian world No. 27 topped tournament second seed Emma Navarro 6-4, 6-4 in a surprise result.
“She’s another one of those players who can hit anything from anywhere,” Keys said.
“I need to be ready and I’m really looking forward to it.”
FELIX EYES TOP 10
Canadian star Felix Auger-Aliassime will face top seed American Tommy Paul in an exciting Adelaide International semi final matchup after defeating Marcos Giron in straight sets.
The 24-year-old world No. 29 had to grind through a tough first set in hot conditions at Memorial Drive to pull out a 7-6 (7-3) win before flicking a switch in the second set.
Giron had no answer as Auger-Aliassime sent back a number of first and second serves with powerful returns and took control of the majority of points on his way to a 6-3 second set win.
Potentially sitting just one win from a top 10 ranking ahead of the Australian Open, Paul said he was looking forward to the clash with the young fifth seed Canadian.
“I’ve only played Felix once…but he’s a big hitter and a good server,” he said.
“He’ll be ready to go all day.
“I’m pretty focused on this week right now, I know that obviously the Australian Open is the main goal (but) here I have this tournament as a distraction (from the pressure) and hopefully I can continue to pick up quite a few points along the way and sharpen my game.”
TEEN STUNS FORMER AO CHAMP
by Brayden May
Aussie teenager Maya Joint has continued her breakthrough tournament at the Hobart International after winning through to the semi-finals.
The 18-year-old, who was born in America, stunned 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin in straight sets on Thursday afternoon in straight sets 6-3 6-1.
Speaking on court post-match, Joint simply said she had “no” expectation of playing this well this week.
“I’m just so excited to be in the semis, I just can’t wait to play,” she said.
“I just take it one match at a time, one point at a time. Try to play the best I can.
“It’s crazy, I feel great right now.
While the first set was a tight affair early, a break in the fourth game of the match allowed Joint to take control of the contest.
She would win nine of the next 12 games to storm into the semis, her first at WTA level.
PEGULA ADVANCES IN WALKOVER
by Daniel Renfrey
Adelaide International women’s one seed Jessica Pegula has advanced to the semi finals via walkover after fellow American Ashlyn Krueger was forced to retire with a left thigh injury.
The world No.7 was in full control from the start of the match, serving consistently and running her 20-year-old world No.54 opponent ragged during baseline rallies.
Krueger, who upset five seed Spaniard Paula Badosa in the round of 16, was forced to seek a medical time-out just two games into the second set in front of a packed centre court crowd at Memorial Drive.
She concluded she could not continue after a lengthy assessment and was forced to retire with the score sitting at 6-4, 2-0 in Pegula’s favour.
The promising young American now faces a race to be fit for next week’s Australian Open, while Pegula will meet either Yulia Putintseva of Kazahkstan or sixth seed Russian Diana Shnaider in the semi finals.
RINKY BOWS OUT
Australian surprise packet Rinky Hijikata has bowed out of the Adelaide International after running into a red-hot Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals.
The 23-year-old, who entered the main draw as a ‘lucky loser’, defeated the higher ranked David Goffin and Brandon Nakashima in his round of 32 and round of 16 clashes but could not overcome his world No.12 opponent, falling 3-6, 4-6.
The tournament first seed was the better player from start to finish on Thursday, grabbing an early break with impressive return of service and serving his way to a one set lead.
Paul broke straight away in the second set to all but seal the result, with a hardworking Hijikata never threatening his opponent’s serve.
KOKKINAKIS UNDER INJURY CONCERN
Thanasi Kokkinakis has credited a raucous home crowd after an epic Adelaide International round of 16 victory over Argentinian Tomas Martin Etcheverry but admitted he had an injury concern ahead of the quarterfinals and Australian Open.
The 28-year-old world No. 77 hit a huge 23 aces and found just enough joy against a deadly Etcheverry serve at Memorial Drive to see out what was an enthralling match against the tournament eighth seed with a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 win.
It was a tug of war all the way through for Kokkinakis, who battled against serve but finally broke through in the 12th game of the first set before dropping the second set to the Argentinian world No. 36.
The third set saw much of the same with both players proving deadly on serve, but it would be Kokkinakis who would eventually find the breakthrough, producing a number of electric winners to win a third-set tie-breaker and send fans into a frenzy.
“Playing in Adelaide is the best, there’s nothing like it,” Kokkinakis said after the win.
“There were times I felt flat and didn’t have much energy but to have that support and play in front of a packed out arena at home, it gives me goosebumps.
“I thought I probably got better as the match went on, even though I won the first set I probably wasn’t playing great until I broke him and obviously he was serving really well so I just had to dig deep and pick my shots to win the rallies.
“He’s a hell of a player so I knew it was going to be a battle.”
Kokkinakis needed all 23 of his aces to win the thriller over Etcheverry, but he revealed the strain of his serve had triggered pain in his shoulder and placed him under an injury cloud ahead of the quarterfinals and next week’s Australian Open.
“My serve is definitely something I can count on … it hurts my body a little bit but it’s a massive shot for me.
“My shoulder didn’t feel great there to be honest.
“It’s the injury I’ve worked the hardest to try and get right and it’s something I’ve played through for a while so we’ll see how I recover.
“It’s going to be tough, I’ve obviously got one eye on tomorrow and one eye on next week as well.”
If fit, Kokkinakis will play American second seed Sebastian Korda in Thursday night’s quarterfinal.
AUSSIE WONDER-KID BOWS OUT WITH HEAD HELD HIGH
Aussie wonder-kid Emerson Jones has earned high praise from Adelaide International round of 16 opponent Daria Kasatkina after putting together a courageous losing performance.
The 16-year-old out of the Gold Coast was compared to former world No. 1 and grand slam champion Ash Barty after her dazzling straight sets upset of world No. 37 Wang Xinyu in the round of 32 but her performance against Kasatkina proved to be just as exciting.
Coming in as the major underdog at Memorial Drive on Wednesday night, Jones burst out of the gate to take the first two games to love before losing the next five and winning the next three to square the match at 5-5.
The young star showed the world what she was capable of during that period of the match, executing strong service games and hitting powerful backhand and forehand winners.
While she did not experience much joy on the scoreboard from then on, losing the match 5-7, 3-6, Jones’ hard-hitting and gutsy display left her Russian world No. 9 opponent more than impressed.
“She plays very good tennis,” Kasatkina said after the match.
“I’m already scared to be honest – she’s only 16.
“Im just really happy I was able to play well and now I can rest (ahead of the quarterfinals).”
Ranked as the world’s number one junior, Jones entered the tournament as a wildcard with a world No, 378 ranking.
A powerful young player at the top of the world taking it to some of the sport’s best players, Jones played down the inevitable comparisons with former teen prodigy Barty after her opening round win.
“It’s exciting to be compared to Ash Barty and to know she’s done all of this,” she said.
“I just think we’re all on our different journeys … I just want to see how I go and focus on myself.”
The teenage sensation will now look to next week’s Australian Open after earning a main draw wildcard last year as the world’s top junior.
Barty had some advice for Jones ahead of the grand slam.
“(The extra attention) is certainly a different beast, and I think getting to know ‘Emmo’ a lot more over the last couple of years, she’s a very driven person – she’s passionate, she wants to do well, she’s focused, she’s professional,” Barty said.
“I really do think that this Australian summer is almost the perfect opportunity for her to soak it all in and enjoy it without that pressure.
“She’ll want to do well, and she’ll want to play her best tennis, but I think it’s about giving herself the opportunity to embrace it all and soak it all in.”
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