Australian Open 2021: Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis win doubles match

No one is having as much fun at the Australian Open as Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis — and their press conference after a doubles win summed that up.

Daniil Medvedev in a rage against Filip Krajinovic. Picture: Getty Images

Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis are having a damn good time at the Australian Open – even more so now they’ve teamed up again as doubles partners.

The ‘Special Ks’ dream team blitzed Lloyd Harris and Julian Knowle in a free-flowing doubles match that was far more weighted towards entertainment than grand slam tennis.

But the fun didn’t stop there, with Kokkinakis being ‘thrown under a bus’ by his good mate when Kyrgios revealed the fit-again star’s on-court banter in the post-match press conference.

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Kokkinakis said their talks had been one-percent tactical and 99 per cent “rubbish”, but Kyrgios gave a bit more insight than that – declaring himself as a ‘taken man’ but explaining that most of the pairing’s chatter was related to Kokkinakis talking about the fairer sex.

Kyrgios: “well, I’m a taken man …”

Kokkinakis: “What?”

Kyrgios: “So he was talking to me about girls….”

Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios had a lot of fun playing doubles together.

Can anyone tell us what’s going on here?

Kokkinakis: “He’s just thrown me under the bus, but that’s not true. We were having fun.”

Kokkinakis was later asked what had changed for him since his epic five-set encounter with Stefanos Tsitsipas, with Kyrgios butting in to say “his direct messages”.

With press conferences like these, let’s hope these two hang around for a deep run in the doubles.

The @NickKyrgios x @TKokkinakis doubles show begins now 😂#AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/Ylr5Ewcr3S

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 13, 2021

Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios are having so much fun in this #AusOpen doubles match that they look like they're playing Saturday pennant. Could hardly be more relaxed. Cruising at 6-2 3-1 up.

"Go Kokk!!!" as Kokkinakis chases down a drop shot.

— Marc McGowan 🗣✍️👨🏻‍💻📰 (@ByMarcMcGowan) February 13, 2021

Is anyone having more fun than these two? 😃@NickKyrgios x @TKokkinakis celebrate cruising through in straight sets 6-2 6-4 🇦🇺#AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/9kNdwh2wke

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 13, 2021

RUSSIAN SURVIVES FIVE SETS OF DRAMA

Russian firebrand Daniil Medvedev went within a whisker of torching his Australian Open following an incredible five-set win that featured a bizarre code violation, a coach walking out on his star and a multilingual meltdown.

Novak Djokovic’s injury revelations have opened the door for challengers to take his Australian Open crown, with young guns Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas charging into the fourth round on Saturday.

But Medvedev – who was installed as the tournament favourite following Djokovic’s frank admission that he’d suffered an abdominal muscle tear – nearly butchered his chance completely, forced into a five-set dogfight with Serbian Filip Krajinovic after blowing a two-sets-to-love lead.

Daniil Medvedev in a rage against Filip Krajinovic. Picture: Getty Images

Krajinovic fought back to take the third set, which sent Medvedev into a rage – as the Russian star berated coach Gilles Cervara in French, causing Cervara to abandon his player mid-match.

With crowds absent from Melbourne Park on Saturday, interactions between players and their support boxes can be heard loud and clear, with Medvedev yelling at his coach “I can’t hear you – leave me alone to play”.

The 24-year-old says the surprise walkout was a key moment in turning the match around and producing a stunning 6-0 fifth set after Krajinovic levelled the match at two-sets a piece.

“It for sure was connected,” Medvedev said of Cervara’s exit and his on-court turnaround.

Medvedev required treatment during the five-setter. Picture: AFP

“I don’t know what was going through his head, but at least what he said was he was sure I was going to win and he just wanted to leave me alone to be calm.

“As myself, as a human, we can have some frustrating moments, both of us, because we both want to win – he felt like that was the best thing to do.

“Sometimes we’ll disagree, but this time it was for sure a good thing to do. It happens once per year maximum. But today it helped. Definitely we’re going to talk about it a little bit, but it was not a big deal.”

Krajinovic was at the centre of his own bizarre controversy as he was handed a code violation for not wearing a mask when leaving the court for a toilet break at the end of the third set.

Medvedev was able to regroup, to join the likes of Djokovic, third seed Dominic Thiem and sixth seed Alexander Zverev in the fourth round.

Meanwhile, Tsistsipas steamrolled fellow youngster Mikael Ymer 6-4 6-1 6-1 in a destructive display.

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ clash with Mikael Ymer was almost a walkover. Picture: Getty Images

Ymer was able to hold his own in the first set, but Tsitsipas physically overpowered the Swede before completing the belting with a seventh break to wrap up the third set in just 26 minutes.

Tsitsipas was pushed to five sets two days ago by reborn Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis, but showed his scary potential with an explosive display on John Cain Arena.

“It’s quite important for me to have battles against him, and for the next generation of tennis as well. All of us have been working really hard to get to this level,” Tsitsipas said.

Originally published as Australian Open 2021: Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis win doubles match