Australian Open 2021 men’s results: Thanasi Kokkinakis, Alexei Popyrin, Chris O’Connell pull off big wins

It was an emotional day for Thanasi Kokkinakis. After years of injury hell he won at home. The reaction from some of sport’s biggest names has been incredible.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 09: Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia celebrates after winning match point in his Men's Singles first round match against Soonwoo Kwon of South Korea during day two of the 2021 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on February 09, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mike Owen/Getty Images)

On the verge of his first Australian Open victory in six years, the tears started to form for Thanasi Kokkinakis.

One of the most talented male juniors to come through the Australian ranks of the past two decades, tennis hasn’t always been kind to Kokkinakis.

Torn pecs. A fractured kneecap and busted shoulder. Throw in various abdominal strains, osteitis pubis and an elbow injury for good measure.

He’s back! Thanasi Kokkinakis celebrates his big win.

You name it, he’s had it. Even a bout of glandular fever which cruelled his campaign last year.

It’s so easy to forget he’s just 24 years old.

Which is why on Tuesday, when he put it all together for a straight sets beatdown of South Korea’s Kwon Soonwoo, it almost got the better of him.

With Kwon serving at 0-5 in the third set, the crowd at Court 3 let out a loud roar.

“At 5-0 I heard this massive roar, massive cheer from the crowd and I started tearing up,” Kokkinakis said.

“There’s just so much stuff behind the scenes that not a lot of people realise apart from my team and friends and family. I definitely got a bit emotional.”

He soaked it all in moments later – savouring his first appearance in the second round since 2015, and just the third of his career.

And it wasn’t just the fans who were pumped for Kokkinakis. Roger Federer wasted no time reaching out after the win.

“Nice one Thanaser. Happy for you,” he wrote in an Instagram direct message.

Roger sent Thanasi his congratulations 👏

(via @TKokkinakis) #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/wTRoAgZL54

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 9, 2021

Up until this summer, Kokkinakis has had more injuries rule him out of Australian Opens than he’s enjoyed wins at Melbourne Park.

Now he faces a mouthwatering clash with Greek fan favourite Stefanos Tsitsipas on Thursday - a match which will put Kokkinakis back on the biggest stage.

Congrats legend!!! Keep working brother.. @TKokkinakis 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 https://t.co/zWjiiMTaFH

— Joe Ingles (@Joeingles7) February 9, 2021

Kokkinakis got a bit emotional at the end of his match.

Is this the Australian Open where we finally see the best of him? When his body holds up its end of the bargain?

“Touch wood. I feel really good. I don’t want to speak to soon, but I’m happy with how I pulled up so far,” he said

Really happy for you dude @TKokkinakis 🙌❤️ https://t.co/8qQqb8mXL5

— Lucas Pouille (@la_pouille) February 9, 2021

“I’m definitely happy I got it done the way I did. Obviously win first, and the quicker I can win the better – to give myself a chance.”

Elsewhere on Tuesday, the news was less sunny for Jordan Thompson – who retired down two sets to love in his match against Norwegian Casper Ruud.

Melbourne giant slayer takes down another big gun

Alexei Popyrin has opened the door for passage to the Australian Open third round again after stunning 13th seed David Goffin in a five-set victory.

Melbourne Park remains the 21-year-old Sydney wildcard’s happy hunting ground and now only world number 91, Lloyd Harris of South Africa, stands in the way of Popyrin reaching the third round for the third straight year.

Popyrin, who has become an Australian Open giant slayer, taking at least one seeded player down in all three appearances, labelled the win “number one by far” in his career as he added Belgian Goffin to the list of victims.

Only those close know the journey....
Grateful I get another chance at this thing🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/SLxi1EVHNl

— Thanasi Kokkinakis (@TKokkinakis) February 9, 2021

Alexei Popyrin has knocked out the 13th seed.

The rising Aussie star saved four match points in the 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6), 6-3 win which took close to four hours effort, in front of a boisterous court three crowd.

Popyrin said he was “on the brink” in the fourth set, when he called for the physio to help him through.

Thanks to the “hot cream” he had rubbed in, his legs started pumping again, as did the crowd, and he found the will to win.

“I was like, I was nearly on the brink of losing. When you come back from match points it gives you confidence for the upcoming rounds,” Popyrin said.

“In the fourth set I felt my legs a little bit, that’s why I called the physio. He rubbed me with some hot cream.

“It was mental as well, going down a break in that fourth set, I thought it was over. I managed to dig deep and came out on top.”

Popyrin said a pre-tournament decision to stay calm in any situation also paid dividends.

“I’m not going to worry about if I win matches, loses matches, I am just going to go out there and fight,” he said.

“Last year, I was really nervous every time I got out on court, just really wanting to win. This pre-season I told myself, I told my team I am going to keep calm no matter what happens and it’s paying off.”

An exhausted Popyrin will be hoping for fewer games in his second round clash.

In two meetings against Harris, Popyrin has lost twice. But neither of those games have been at the Aussie’s happy hunting ground in Melbourne.

“I’m a different player, mentally I’m different, I’m different with my game now,” Popyrin said.

“It’s going to be really tough, hopefully I can perform the way I did today, with less match points.”

Zero to hero: Aussie late-bloomer made of right Struff

Three years after falling out of the top 1000 and walking away from the sport, Chris O’Connell has landed a life-changing, $150,000 route to the Australian Open second round.

Fed up with relentless injuries, and the mental toll they took on the promising young star, O’Connell had had enough – stepping away from the ATP Challenger tour in 2018 to give his body and mind a proper refresh.

Tuesday’s impressive straight-sets victory 7-6, 7-6, 6-1 over world No.37 Jan-Lennard Struff, which came with it a guaranteed $150,000 payday for reaching the second round, was a potential life-changing moment for the understated 26-year-old.

O’Connell has now added his first top-50 scalp to go with last year’s breakthrough first-round win at the US Open – victories which have pushed him on the brink of his career-high ranking of 111.

Chris O’Connell claimed his first top-50 scalp at the Australian Open. Picture: Getty Images

“I mean, that’s why we play tennis, to play Grand Slams, to get to win first rounds of Grand Slams,” O’Connell said. “It’s just awesome. Unbelievable feeling.

“The more I play these type of events, the better I feel out there, the more confident and calm I feel out there because it’s a different environment, different atmosphere.”

O’Connell has the perfect path to follow as a late-bloomer, with the likes of John Millman a recent example of Australian players who can break through in their mid-20s and become genuine forces on the tour.

“Definitely – I still don’t think my best tennis has arrived yet,” he said.

“It’s just taken me a longer time to figure out how to get these wins, feel confident out there, feel comfortable. I’ve still got some learning to do.”

Chris O’Connell is guaranteed a $150,000 payday after reaching the second round. Picture: Getty Images

A resident of Sydney’s northern beaches, O’Connell was caught up in last year’s troubling COVID cluster – forcing people into isolation while he was preparing for the big summer of tennis.

It was another unwelcome hurdle for a player who has cleared many in recent years.

But some helpful neighbours came to the rescue with an offer of a hard court to practice on up the road.

“It was a bit tough there for a little while,” he said.

“I just focused on getting my fitness levels up. I was just hoping that I’d get my fitness levels up and be ready to go once I played a Grand Slam match.”

Originally published as Australian Open 2021 men’s results: Thanasi Kokkinakis, Alexei Popyrin, Chris O’Connell pull off big wins