Thanasi Kokkinakis won’t rest on his laurels after Ernests Gulbis upset

THANASI Kokkinakis’ extraordinary Australian Open upset of 11th seed Ernests Gulbis has given him a taste of the big time. Now he wants more.

Kokkinakis hungry for more success

THANASI Kokkinakis has tasted it and likes it. Now he wants more.

Having sealed a reputation as a future grand slam star with an extraordinary Australian Open upset of Latvian 11th seed Ernests Gulbis, Kokkinakis is far from satisfied.

Even after reflecting on his amazing effort to save four match points to claim an epic contest 5-7 6-0 1-6 7-6 (7-6 (7-2) 8-6 in 4hrs7mins the young South Australian revealed he is unfulfilled.

The 18-year-old will next face Victorian Sam Groth for a place in the third round — and is desperate to win.

Kokkinakis is congratulated by Gulbis after his win. Picture: Paul Crock/AFP

“It was exciting. I know it was a good win,” he said after upstaging shattered Gulbis.

“There’s more to come. I don’t want to win just one round.

“Obviously it was my best win yet. I’ll enjoy it for the rest of the night, but tomorrow I’ll need to get prepared for the next match two days away against Sam.

“I’m not putting a limit on myself. I’m just taking it match by match.

“I beat a guy that made the semis of the French. He probably wasn’t in his best form tonight.

“You can only control what you can control, so just tried to make things uncomfortable for him.

“Yeah, he’s (Groth) beaten some good players before and I’ve beaten him, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Kokkinakis, ranked 147th, celebrated a landmark win with close friend Nick Kyrgios, who also posted a five-set victory.

Kokkinakis celebrates with fans. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

“I saw him in the changing rooms. We congratulated each other,” Kokkinakis beamed.

“It’s a good win for both of us. Hopefully we can go further in the draw.”

Kokkinakis said a gruelling off-season program, which involved training with Roger Federer and Port Power in Dubai, steeled him for the Gulbis battle.

“Did a lot of training, a lot of hitting there,” he said.

“It was just two weeks there. I did two weeks in Adelaide, a couple weeks in Melbourne.

“Just the whole base was big for me. I did a lot more running.

“I knew what I needed to do to play five-set tennis. Went through it last year, wasn’t quite fit enough; found a way to win my first round.

“But this year I felt physically good, so I’m happy with how my body’s holding up.”

Kokkinakis saved four match points to claim an epic contest. Picture: Paul Crock/AFP

Asked what the win signified, Kokkinakis said: “Big things.

“Again, like last week, I showed up. A lot of matches last year I was winning a set against these good players, but never able to finish the match through.

“I’m really happy with how I stuck together. Even though I thought for a lot of the period of that time I wasn’t playing my best tennis, I found a way to kind of get the points there, the games I needed to.

“On the match points, I just trusted my weapons, what I work on every day, what my favourite shots are.

“I went for a few forehands. Maybe they were a bit lucky, but I would like to think skill. A bit of both.

“But I needed them and trusted them. There’s no point shying away and pushing, because these good players are going to hit a winner past you anyway.”

Lifted to the win of his young career by an unashamedly hostile crowd, Kokkinakis ran a lap of the court post-match to high-five his supporters as Gulbis stalked away.

Yet, despite coming from a service break down to save match points in the fourth set tiebreak, he refused to submit.

“It’s incredible,” the 18-year-old said after dispatching French Open semi-finalist Gulbis.

“I started off well, got to 3-0, then dug a hole for myself.

“I responded well in the second set and the match went up and down from there.

“I was down a break in the fourth set and I got lucky on a couple of those match points — not sure whether it was luck or skill.

“It’s just incredible.”

Elated as Gulbis stalked from the court after losing both the match and an endless dialogue with a baying crowd, wildcard Kokkinakis will next face fellow Australian Sam Groth.

Capping one of Australia’s most productive opening days in years at Melbourne Park, Kokkinakis showed precisely why he is so highly regarded.

A year young than, and often overshadowed by, close friend Nick Kyrgios, Kokkinakis is competing at only his second grand slam event.

Statistics pointed the best quality of the Kokkinakis game.

Although Gulbis won more points 172 to 164 — it was Kokkinakis’ uncanny ability to keep his composure even as the match intensity peaked.

It was clear from the outset Gulbis was distracted by the baying crowd, telling spectators to “shut up.”

Umpire Pascal Maria directed security into the crowd in the first set as the famously combustible Latvian complained.

His unease with the first-day crowds mirrored that of Alexander Kudryavtsev who told the umpire Australian spectators were animals after double-faulting against Marinko Matosevic.

In the end, Gulbis was outplayed by a prodigious talent long considered by tennis purists to be at least the equal of Kyrgios.

Last night showed exactly why as he ducked and weaved his way through crisis after crisis before stunning a world-class professional.