Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis win men’s Australian Open doubles title
Doubles finalist Matt Ebden could miss the birth of his son after being forced to quarantine on his return to Perth. And he didn’t hold back in his assessment of WA’s changing Covid rules.
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Heartbroken Australian Open finalist Matt Ebden has taken aim at Western Australian premier Mark McGowan for “lying” to the public and denying him the chance to be present for the birth of his child.
Ebden, who with teammate Matt Purcell lost the men’s doubles final on Saturday night, said he might have withdrawn from the tournament had he known the “rug would be pulled from underneath me” in the form of last week’s shock decision to backflip on a February 5 border reopening.
The decision by Premier McGowan to indefinitely delay the relaxation of hard border restrictions will force Ebden into a 14-day hotel quarantine when he flies back to Perth on Sunday following an otherwise terrific Australian Open campaign.
And while the veteran star insists he doesn’t want special treatment, he felt that “trust has been betrayed” which is likely to result in him missing the birth of his son, who is due on February 14.
“It’s a terrible situation, what’s still going on in Western Australia. I think it’s ridiculous,” Ebden said.
“I think everyone there is starting to see that everyone has been lied to for so long, the trust has been betrayed.
“Everyone has gone and got vaccinated, almost 100 per cent of the people, and then to turn around and just lie to everyone and say, ‘Sorry, no, we’re changing again’. It’s just ridiculous.”
The only contact Ebden expects to have with his heavily pregnant wife, Kim Doig, is from the car park of his quarantine hotel.
“Hopefully (I’ll see her through) a window somewhere (from my) apartment or a hotel or wherever I quarantine,” he said.
“If she’s outside in the car park, I might be able to see her and wave.”
Ebden said he had considered withdrawing entirely from the tournament, for which he earned a split of the $360,000 runners-up prizemoney.
“There’s a chance I would not have come. I was in qualifying but obviously I had committed and said with Max I wanted to play,” he said.
“It was tough to leave a very pregnant wife at eight months and knowing that you still couldn’t go back any time you needed to for an emergency. Then for the rug to be just pulled from underneath me last week and this last week, it’s terrible.
“I’m not the only one. I’ve said it a hundred times: I don’t expect special treatment, I’m not entitled to anything different from any other Western Australians or Australians that have struggled this last year or two with hundreds of things; deaths, births, missing loved ones, families, all that.”
Crowd drama mars epic doubles final
– Joe Barton
The entertainers turned into champions on Saturday night as Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios became the first all-Australian men’s doubles champions in 25 years.
But, of course, it wasn’t without a slice of drama – with one fan kicked out, to raucous applause, for shouting out while Max Purcell, and teammate Matt Ebden, was serving to stay in the match.
The punter earned an earbashing, first from chair umpire Damien Dumusois and then an animated Kyrgios, before being hauled out by security. He and his mates missed out on one of the all-time on-court celebrations as Kyrgios served out the win and embraced his good mate, the victory sealed with a kiss on the cheek.
Little more than two hours after Ashleigh Barty ended a 44-year Australian Open singles drought for home fans, the Special Ks completed their transformation from court jesters to grand slam champions after taking down their fellow Australians in straight sets.
After two weeks of tweeners, Siuuuus, slapdowns and sledges, the Special Ks proved they can walk the walk in the doubles world as both Kyrgios and Kokkinakis enjoyed their maiden grand slam successes care of the 7-5 6-4 win.
“I would say that we’ve created probably the best atmosphere this tournament has ever seen, to be brutally honest with you,” Kyrgios told reporters post-match.
“Ash’s father came to us and said the crowd was the best he’s ever seen. Obviously Ash is a hell of a player but I think the ratings speak for themselves.
“People watch my matches, everywhere I play around the world the stadiums are full for that reason.
“I don’t think those people that are screaming out for points produced from us.
“That’s got nothing to do with us, to be honest.
“But there’s a reason why the ratings are the way they are and people were glued to the TV when we play. Speaks for itself really.”
In doing so, they became the first all-local champions since the Woodies – Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge – did it in 1997.
“I can honestly say we did not expect to get close to this,” said Kokkinakis.
Could the victory flick a switch for Kyrgios? Woodbridge was happy to pose that question.
“ (Barty) is a brilliant doubles player and the experiences that she got by making Grand Slam finals stood her in good stead to become a grand slam singles champion,” Woodbridge said on Channel 9.
“It makes you wonder – we have talked about particularly Nick with all of this potential. Maybe, maybe this is a moment in time where this could help him start to achieve something with that potential.”
Kyrgios warmed up for the match by dribbling a tennis ball and feigning fadeaways in the bowels of Rod Laver Arena as Barty was introducing the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup to her team.
Once he hit the court, however, it was blinkers on, with Kyrgios intent on securing some silverware of his own – a point which was nearly drilled into Purcell’s chest early in the match with a bullet forehand.
“This week has been a dream come true for me – I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else,” Kyrgios said.
“I don’t even know how we’re doing this, or what’s doing on to be brutally honest.
“I know this big boy’s going to be out tonight so … ladies, let’s go!”
But in a first set of truly high-quality doubles tennis it was Kokkinakis who came up with the biggest moments, peeling off three monster forehands on Ebden’s serve to secure the first set’s only break in the 11th game – before serving out the set in 50 minutes.
Then it was Kyrgios’ turn to steal the spotlight, with Ebden cracking again as the combustible star wrestled the set away for tennis’ wildest doubles pair.
From there, the party was well and truly started.
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