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Thanasi Kokkinakis was in visible distress with a knee concern at the Adelaide International, but the managed to hold his nerve in two tie-breaks in front of his home crowd.
Thanasi Kokkinakis defied an early injury scare and service game simulator to outlast American Maxime Cressy 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (9-7) and move into the second round of the Adelaide International.
Both brought a booming serve but Kokkinakis was the more clinical of the two, riding the energy of a vocal home crowd to a stirring victory on centre court punctuated by a 21st ace to seal the deal.
The crowd piled in to watch hometown hero Kokkinakis in action for the first time in 2023 but cheers quickly turned into concerned murmurs as the 26 year old called for a medical timeout trailing 2-1 in the opening set.
A noticeably troubled Kokkinakis returned to the court and responded with a flawless service game, shrugging off the apparent right leg ailment as the pair traded blows from the baseline.
There was little for the crowd to get excited about as the big-hitting pair exchanged service games in clinical fashion, leading to an obvious opening set tiebreak.
Thirteen consecutive points were won on serve until Kokkinakis finally made the breakthrough, and he finished the job with a second serve ace that really got the crowd rocking.
But the first break went the way of the American and he served for the second set at 5-4, only for Kokkinakis to respond with a crucial break of his own and back to a tiebreak they went.
A similar scenario played out in the second, with Kokkinakis seeing two match points but this time Cressy was up to the challenge.
The American flipped the script and served for the second set but it was Kokkinakis’ turn to come up clutch and as he did in the first, finished the set with a bang.
No stranger to late-night finishes at Memorial Drive, Kokkinakis thanked the home fans for staying out to watch him start 2023 in style.
“That was crazy. First of all you guys are unbelievable packing it out,” he said.
“Crazy memories to come back here to see a packed arena on a Monday night. You guys stayed, I know it’s late, but the atmosphere, the support, I wouldn’t have been able to get through without you guys so thank you.”
The South Australian played down any injury fears, confirming the troublesome knee came good soon after treatment from the physio.
“I don’t know what that was, I just went to serve but my knee buckled, I don’t know why,” he said.
“It happened four serves in a row – but I took some painkillers, got some treatment and it warmed up.”
Kokkinakis is now through to the second round where he will face the winner of Tuesday’s clash between Jannik Sinner or Kyle Edmund.
Turning point: Why snowball effect took hold of ‘dented’ Aussie
We had seen glimpses of this Alexei Popyrin before but never quite like this.
For years the unsung Aussie threatened to break out into a genuine tournament contender but for reasons unknown, sometimes even to him, rises were often met with a fall.
Popyrin ended 2021 with a maiden ATP title in his back pocket and a career-high ranking of No. 59 in the world. Last year he only won five matches on tour, tumbling outside the top-100 in the process.
And though the 23 year old is not getting ahead of himself after a career-best straight sets victory over world No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Adelaide International on Monday, the means with which he dispatched one of the top players on the planet was ominous.
It wasn’t that his superstar Canadian rival played poorly; Popyrin was just simply better.
He served with conviction and his forehand, a known weapon but prone to the occasional misfire, was on from the opening exchanges.
A lesser man would have crumbled when down 4-1 in the second set opposite a mooted future grand slam winner, but Popyrin looked calm and composed – even confident.
He squared the match at 4-4 and when the second set went to a tie-break there were moments of obvious tension in the Aussie’s shoulders but the grey matter between his ears remained focused.
Game, set, match: 6-4 7-6 (7-5).
It was the mental side of his game which Popyrin felt fell away in 2022. As the losses mounted his confidence was dented and the snowball effect took a toll.
In October the Aussie finally forced a change, bringing on Xavier Malisse as coach and taking control of his destiny once more – just as his parents had done by placing a tennis racquet in his hand at the age of three.
“Nobody does it perfectly – there’s just a few guys that do it perfectly from such a young age (and) me, I don’t come from a tennis background, my parents don’t come from a tennis background, we don’t come from a sporting background,” Popyrin said.
“So we have to learn as we go and my parents did that when they were helping me come through and then once I took the reins from my parents, I had to learn.
“In 2021 everything was kind of great. I was 21, got my first ATP title (and) I felt like I was there, I could go higher. I even told my physio at the time I could reach the second week of a slam, (that) I could go all the way and that’s the confidence I had.
“And then things took a turn. I hired some people that obviously weren’t the best for my game.
“Last year I started off the year at my highest ranking at 59 and for me the plan wasn’t to go back. Everything that happened last year was a learning curve. I took the example from my parents, who learned along the way, and I learned along the way also.”
The win over Auger-Aliassime came as a shock to many, but not to Popyrin. His challenge now is to turn the dial from surprise to expectation and that’s why the Aussie ace is not getting ahead of himself just yet.
“I know I have the game to play against guys like that and today just proved it – I’m not surprised to be honest,” he said.
“After the year I had last year it’s a really great win for me but honestly, it’s not anything I’m super pumped about. It’s something I fully expect myself to do, to beat these players, and it’s how I come out to play these matches.
“Obviously he (Auger-Aliassime) is one of the in-form players we have on the tour right now so if we go by ranking and by performance then yeah, it’s probably one of the better wins of my career.”
As a 21 year old rising star of Australian tennis Popyrin had the world at his feet. Last year was a humbling reminder that the path to the top is not always a straight line and it’s with a more measured air of confidence that at 23, his reset has begun.
“Obviously there’s sound at the back (of your mind) which I don’t listen to at all but I think some people see a big guy, with a big serve, a pretty talented player, and they think it’s all going to come so easily and he should be at the top in a matter of time,” Popyrin said.
“For some people it works … for me it was a different path. And look, I’m not at the top, I’m not anywhere near the top right now, but I believe that if I continue along the path I’m on right now I have a chance of getting there.”
With the No. 2 seed behind him, Popyrin will face world No. 61 Marcos Giron in the second round on Wednesday.
Fans swarm as Djoker’s comeback takes an early hit
Nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic is out in the first round of the Adelaide International – the doubles, that is.
Djokovic’s first competitive action Down Under since winning the 2021 Australian Open title ended in defeat, as he and partner Vasek Pospisil went down 4-6 6-3 (10-5) to established doubles duo Gonzalo Escobar and Tomislav Brkic.
Djokovic will begin his Adelaide International singles assault on Tuesday against Frenchman Constant Lestienne, but fans jumped at the chance to watch the 21-time grand slam winner a day early and despite the defeat, did not leave disappointed.
Hundreds flooded into showcourt 1 to watch the Serbian superstar in action but it was the more experienced doubles pairing of Escobar and Brkic who spoiled the show, romping home in a match-deciding tie break.
Centre court emptied as fans flushed through the Memorial Drive precinct to catch a glimpse of Djokovic in action, with many resorting to peeking through a gap in the fence along the main thoroughfare to watch the opening round doubles match unfold.
Not since Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis wowed crowds with their antics at last year’s Australian Open has doubles Down Under held such interest.
Djokovic has dominated the Adelaide International consciousness since arriving in Adelaide last week and at his open practice session on Saturday was greeted to cheers from the hundreds of fans who turned out just to watch him warm up.
Despite his doubles loss on Monday, Djokovic remained behind to sign some autographs and take photos with fans – seemingly having put the ignominy of last summer’s deportation drama behind him, as he takes aim at a 10th Australian Open title later this month.
Aussie James Duckworth was caught up in the chaos when he struggled to wade through the sea of people queuing around the arena while carrying a box of tennis balls to a nearby practice court.
An opening round Djokovic defeat may surprise some tennis fans, however the Serbian’s doubles record pales in comparison to the heady heights of his stellar singles career.
However, his doubles form will be of particular interest to fans given he and Nick Kyrgios recently teased the possibility of them teaming together at Indian Wells later this year.
THE DJOKER IS BACK! SERB STAR TAKES THE COURT IN ADELAIDE
Novak Djokovic is on-court in Australia for the first time in two years.
The 21-time grand slam champion’s Adelaide International has opened in the doubles, partnering Vasek Pospisil in a first round meeting with Gonzalo Escobar and Tomislav Brkic.
Hundreds of spectators flooded into showcourt 1 to watch the Serbian superstar in competitive action Down Under for the first time since he won the 2021 Australian Open.
Djokovic will begin his Adelaide International singles assault on Tuesday against Frenchman Constant Lestienne but fans have jumped at the chance to watch the nine-time Australian Open champion in action a day early.
Far from the heady highs of his singles career, Djokovic boasts a doubles win-loss record below 0.500 and has just one doubles title to his name.
However his doubles form will be of particular interest to Aussie fans, given both he and Nick Kyrgios have teased the possibility of them teaming together at Indian Wells later this year.
MASSIVE BOILOVER BOOSTS AUSSIE’S CHANCES OF PROGRESSING
Centre court was the scene for a major boilover on Monday as Czech qualifier Linda Noskova consigned No. 3 seed Daria Kasatkina to an opening round exit at the Adelaide International.
World No. 102 Noskova, who has never progressed past the first round of a grand slam, earned the biggest scalp of her fledgling career with a 6-3 6-7 6-4 win over Kasatkina – a player 94 places above her in the world rankings.
Noskova very nearly didn’t make the main draw, having saved a match point in qualifying a day earlier. But the 18 year old showed incredible mental toughness to respond to losing the second set tie break before seeing off Kasatkina’s late challenge in the third.
The upset has massive ramifications for Aussie wildcard Priscilla Hon, who was poised to face Kasatkina in the second round but will now have Noskova for company, should she get through her opening round clash with American qualifier, Claire Liu.
Adelaide was the scene of Hon’s best-ever win when she defeated two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the opening round last year.
Noskova’s victory over Kasatkina continued the trend of surprising results on centre court, following Bianca Andreescu’s incredible comeback win over Garbine Muguruza on Sunday.
Canadian Andreescu lost the first set 6-0 and found herself down 5-2 in the second, before surging back to win in a tie-break and take the third set, 6-1.
FIRST AUSSIE UP CRASHES OUT OF ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL
The first Aussie up was also the first out of the Adelaide International on Monday, with Chris O’Connell falling to world No. 29 Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia, 6-4 6-4.
Kecmanovic, who last year reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, broke O’Connell early in both sets and held the Aussie at arm’s length thereafter to ease into the second round.
The Serbian’s service game proved the difference between the two, with Kecmanovic wining 72 per cent of his second serve points to O’Connell’s 38 per cent.
Later this afternoon, Aussie wildcard Jaimee Fourlis will face Ukranian Marta Kostyuk, before Alexei Popyrin trades blows with Canadian sensation Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Jordan Thompson begins his 2023 assault against Frenchman Quentin Halys.
Hometown favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis is on centre court after 8pm local time pit against big-serving American Maxime Cressy.
KOKKINAKIS READY TO DEFEND HIS CROWN IN ELITE ADELAIDE FIELD
Winning a maiden ATP title at his home event inflicted a major mental toll on Thanasi Kokkinakis that he says required some serious self-reflection to come back from.
Kokkinakis described last year’s Adelaide International victory as both “a blessing and a curse” given the incredible emotional highs that came crashing down only days later in an opening round exit at the Australian Open.
What the 26 year old labelled his “greatest week on tour” was quickly washed away by the disappointment of the early exit at Melbourne Park – and despite an incredible run to a Grand Slam doubles title with Nick Kyrgios, it only served to heighten the emotions.
“That was part of the reason I almost felt a little burnt out,” Kokkinakis revealed.
“I had such a whirlwind of a summer last year coming back from where I’d come from the past 4-5 years, to come full circle and reach my career high … I don’t know if that’s ever been done (in that way) before.
“I had a massive mental lull after that (Adelaide win). I’d kind of achieved what I wanted to at that point.
“Even though I lost and I was pretty cooked for the Australian Open, I still wouldn’t change it.”
It’s long been a question of what-if for Kokkinakis, whose career has been riddled with regular injury setbacks.
Rejoining the tour as a regular in 2022 was a foreign feeling for the South Australian and he admitted to struggling with the day to day rigours, something he plans to remedy this year.
“The tennis tour is tough especially for Australians, I think that’s well-documented. Last year was my first year on tour in a long time just travelling and playing week-in, week-out and I struggled with that,” he said.
“I struggled with seeing guys playing every week and they were hungry – hungry every week – and to get my ranking up that’s where I need to get to. That’s the mentality I need, which I haven’t quite had yet (so) I’m going to focus on that this year.”
He may be back home in the familiar confines of Memorial Drive but the pressure is well and truly on Kokkinakis entering 2023.
He has semi-final points to defend in the opening week and a title in the second, pit against the strongest field the Adelaide International has ever featured.
“Yeah it’s absurd, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 250 this strong,” he said.
“Holger (Rune) is what, 11th in the world, and he’s the five seed? I mean, for a 250 that’s insane. This is strong for a 500 event let alone a 250.
“It could be a Masters – in some ways it’s tougher, because the draw is smaller so you almost play a high ranked player earlier on.
“I guess there’s pressure on (me) because I’m the defending champ. (People are asking), ‘are you going to do it again’ but I don’t think they realise how hard that is. That’s my best tournament ever and it’s happened in I don’t know how many years of tennis I’ve played, so it’s not like, ‘yeah I’ll defend it, no worries’.”
Kokkinakis begins his home assault with a tough first round match-up against American Maxime Cressy.
The pair have only met twice previously on tour, with Cressy winning their most recent encounter at the 2021 Wimbledon qualifiers.
“It’s going to be tricky, he’s obviously improved a lot over the past year,” Kokkinakis said.
“(Cressy is) a big server, on the quick court it’s going to be tricky. Both of us serve well and he makes it tough for his opponent, I can’t get into too much rhythm he doesn’t let you, he comes in and blankets the net really well so it’s going to be a tricky match.”
Get past Cressy and a second round meeting with world number 15 Jannik Sinner likely awaits. And the road to the final doesn’t get much easier from there, with a swath of top-20 players littered throughout the draw and a man named Novak Djokovic potentially waiting in the final.
“You want to test yourself against the best. It’s a hell of a field these next two weeks. (I will) know where my game is at over these next two weeks and hopefully coming into the Aussie Open there’s no shocks or surprises,” Kokkinakis said.
“It’s obviously tough in regards to me defending my points from last year. I have a big chunk coming in these two weeks, but I didn’t play much at the back end of last year so I’ve got a lot of time to get those points back and do even better.”
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