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Thanasi Kokkinakis 
2012 w liczbach
Ranking: 751
Bilans meczów: -
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Tytuły: -
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Zarobki: $4,996
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/tenni ... 6547297987Adelaide's Thanasi Kokkinakis enjoys time in Hopman Cup spotlight
Adelaide's Thanasi Kokkinakis, 16, playing against Spain's Fernando Verdasco in the Hopman Cup. Picture: Tony Ashby. Source: Getty Images
RISING Adelaide tennis star Thanasi Kokkinakis won't forget January 3, 2013, in a hurry.
Before he woke up, he was an unknown Futures player ranked 755 in the world ... by the time he went to bed he had come within three points of taking a set off world No.24 Fernando Verdasco and played mixed doubles with Venus Williams.
And, he did it all live on prime-time TV.
Kokkinakis, 16, was in Perth as a Hopman Cup reserve for Aussie Bernard Tomic but, following a dramatic turn of events, found himself suiting up for the US against former top-10 player Verdasco.
Big John Isner - famed for playing in Wimbledon's longest match - had pulled up lame with a knee injury and, at noon, Kokkinakis was told he would be playing for America in 30 minutes.
The Seacombe Gardens resident, who plays for local club Glenlea in between Futures circuit matches, wasted no time adjusting to the big stage.
He won the first game of the match on serve before having former world No.7 and Australian Open semi-finalist Verdasco on the ropes at 3-0 in a first-set tiebreaker.
The Spaniard's experience came to the fore and he took the first set 7-6 (7-4) before winning the second 6-3, but Kokkinakis was well received by a big local crowd, which warmed to his fighting effort.
"It was the first time I had played on TV so it was good," Kokkinakis told The Advertiser after the match.
"It was a great feeling, it was pretty tight in the first set and it was great to be there with a player that has been contending for grand slams before.
"I was playing off adrenaline. I don't think many 16-year-olds get to hit with guys like this and do what what I just did, so it is pretty amazing.
Verdasco's post-match TV interview was briefly interrupted as Kokkinakis was cheered off centre court by the crowd.
"He has a great future and if he keeps going the way he is you will all have a good player on your hands," Verdasco said.
Kokkinakis also featured in the mixed doubles later in the day, where he partnered five-time Wimbledon singles champion Williams, and he gave a live studio interview for even telecaster Channel 10.
"It was a pretty amazing day," he said.
Thanasi walczył 3 godziny i 23 minuty, ponownie zebrał świetne recenzje swojej gry i nieźle się postawił człowiekowi z połowy drugiej setki.S.Johnson def. Thanasi Kokkinakis 64 67(5) 1715
http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/new ... 29536.htmlKokkinakis shows his mettle
As the world’s best players go head-to-head on centre court fighting for grand slam glory, the up-and-coming players of the future are doing battle on Melbourne Park’s outside courts in the Australian Open 2013 junior competition.
Tennis legends, current top-10 players and popstars were among those in the stands taking in all the junior action on Tuesday.
Australian junior Thanasi Kokkinakis has attracted a lot of attention this month, and his fighting spirit was on show as he booked a place in the third round of the boys’ singles competition, defeating big-hitting Robin Stanek of the Czech Republic 2-6 6-4 6-3 in one hour and 45 minutes on Court 6.
Kokkinakis had Australian tennis legends Tony Roche and John Newcombe keeping an eye on him, while women’s world No. 4 doubles player Lucie Hradecka was vocal in her support of his opponent throughout the match.
As the match moved into the final stages of a tense third set, even musician Redfoo of LMFAO took to the stands to see two young talents in action.
For 16-year-old Kokkinakis, all this attention is something he has had to get used to very quickly. He was thrust into the spotlight at the Hopman Cup in Perth earlier this month, called on as a late replacement for injured American John Isner. Kokkinakis didn’t shy away from the challenge, pushing world No. 24 Fernando Verdasco before teaming with former world No. 1 Venus Williams in a mixed doubles rubber.
He also impressed as a wildcard entrant in the Australian Open men’s singles qualifying tournament, pushing world No. 175 American Steve Johnson, an eventual qualifier, to 17-15 in the deciding set in the first round.
Things weren’t going so well for the Australian teen on Tuesday, with Stanek leading by a break in the second set with a set already in hand.
Stanek, a quarter-finalist last year, was on top but Kokkinakis dug deep trailing 3-4, reeling off the next three games to level the match at one-set all.
“I wasn’t playing my best at the start, but I knew if I kept pressing eventually he would crack and that is what happened,” Kokkinakis said.
“I never really doubted myself and I’m happy with the way I hung in there.”
Games went on serve early in the deciding set until Kokkinakis got the crucial break in the eighth game. The Australian then confidently served out the match, sealing it with an ace.
Kokkinakis next faces Frenchman Enzo Couacaud, who beat Korea’s Ku Keon Kang 6-1 6-3 in the second round.
Kokkinakis was one of three Australian boys’ winners, alongside newly-crowned world No. 1 junior Nick Kyrgios, who beat New Zealand’s Cameron Norrie 6-3 6-1, and wildcard Omar Jasika, who defeated Japan’s Naoki Nakagawa 6-3 6-2.
Italian No. 2 seed Gianluigi Quinzi and South African No. 7 seed Wayne Montgomery were also winners, but 10th seeded German Maximilian Marterer was upset by Croatian Franko Miocic, losing 6-4 6-4.
It was not the day for seeded boys’ doubles teams, with all four in action beaten. Kyrgios and Kokkinakis had the best win, backing up their singles victories by combining to beat No.3 seeds Filippo Baldi of Italy and Stanek 6-3 6-1. Top seeds Borna Coric of Croatia and Serbian Laslo Djere were also eliminated, beaten by Russian Karen Khachanov and Croatian Franko Miocic 2-6 6-3 [10-7].
In the girls’ singles, No.2 seed Katerina Siniakova of Czech Republic was a straight sets winner, while No.5 seed Ching-Wen Hsu of Chinese Taipei and No. 8 seed Elise Mertens of Belgium both needed three sets to book their third round places.
Turkey’s Ipek Soylu scored the biggest upset of the day, beating No. 11 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil 6-4 6-4.
The top seeded teams got through comfortably in the girls’ doubles. No.1 seeded Ana Konjuh of Croatia and Carol Zhao of China beat Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia and Italy’s Guilia Pairone 6-3 6-1, while No.2 seeds Antonia Lottner of Germany and Erin Routliffe of Canada brushing aside Great Britain’s Harriet Dart and Chinese Taipei’s Ching-Wen Hsu 6-3 6-2.
http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/new ... 58105.htmlQ. Today it looked like his serve was a big difference. Must be hard to deal with when you're out there.
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, it was. But I expect that from Nick. He's got a really good serve. He's been serving really well all tournament. I don't think anyone got more than four from him in a set. His serve and return I think are his two biggest strengths. So I really expect that from Nick.
There was one point which I thought I hit a good return, good, deep return into the corner. He got it back pretty deep. I know he played the point out and he got the better of me.
But I think the other two were unreturnables. Yeah there was that one half chance I had. You have to expect that from Nick. He's got a pretty good serve.
Q. Do you feel like need he stepped it up a little bit more when you got the tiebreak?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I think he started off pretty well. That forehand I missed by, I think a millimeter at the start the tiebreak didn't help me that much.
But, yeah, he's a good player. He dictated the points when he needed to. Full credit to him.
Q. You have a bit of a back injury. Did that come into play at all?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, I definitely felt it. It wasn't today, though. Like I felt it in my quarterfinal against an Italian kid. Early in the second set I started feeling sore, and then I took some painkillers just before the third set in my quarterfinal match and it felt all right.
I took some painkillers yesterday before my semifinal and it was pretty sore then. Yeah, I went and got some scans to make sure it wasn't something serious last night. Yeah, didn't have great news with it.
But it hurt, yeah, so there were positive scans for stress fractures. I had that two years ago and I was out for a while, but it didn't feel as bad as two years ago.
But, yeah, I don't know. It hurt when I had to really push off and change direction. When I had to bend my back and push off, that's when I struggled. But he put me in those positions and was too good.
Q. Does that mean you'll are sidelined for a while after that?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I think a little bit. I'm not sure how long. But, yeah, I think I'll take a bit of a break off. Last time with this injury, it was 2011, I had maybe six, seven months off. I'm hoping it's not that again, but we'll see how it goes.
Obviously I'll go do some rehab, be diligent with it, and see how it goes.
Q. Given that you got your news last night, how did that affect you mentally before the game?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, I was pretty shattered, to be honest. Last night I was pretty pissed. I woke up this morning and I was still a little bit annoyed, but I thought I'd give it a crack.
I actually did a little bit better than I thought I would. I didn't think I'd make it through like a set.
It held up and didn't really get that much worse during the play. But, yeah, it just hurt when I tried to push off.
Q. What about the last few weeks overall? Everything you've been able to experience in the last few weeks, is that going to help you going forward?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, I definitely think so. That's why it was a bit of a shame especially hearing the news last night, because it's been like the best month I've had in my career as a stretch.
Yeah, I had a great week at Hopman Cup hitting with all the guys and then obviously playing against Verdasco and playing doubles with Venus.
Yeah, I had a good match in the Australian Open men's qualifying which went 17 15 in the third set, the longest tennis match I think I've ever played.
But, yeah, to make it through the final of junior Australian Open, which is my first ever win in a junior Grand Slam, like a round, let alone a final, so that was a good feeling for me.
But, yeah, it was a bit of a shame to get that news last night.
Q. What exactly is the injury? What have they said is the exact problem?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: The last one was on my right side, on my L4, 5, on my right side of my back. This one I started feeling on my left side in the same side. Stress fracture in my L4, L5. I had an MRI scan last night.
I was pretty shattered. I know I can recover. I'm young. I have plenty of time. I can recover and come back and do well later on in the year.
Q. Obviously the doctor gave you the all clear to play today. Was there ever a possibility that you weren't able to, that you may have had to pull out?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, coming into the match I thought I was going to pull out. I don't know if that's the right mindset going into a final.
But, yeah, the doctor said it can't really get that much worse. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. But I guess I tried to play through it.
Yeah, to be able to play like Nick, it's hard enough being 100% healthy, so with a little bit of a thing, it doesn't help.
Yeah, as I said, it hurt on the low push offs. The doctor said it couldn't get that much worse. So, yeah, I went with it, gave it a crack, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
Q. What has to happen from now? Obviously you'll recover. Are you going to be able to hit at all over the next few weeks?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I don't think I will. I'm not sure. I've got to talk to the doctors again. But last year I had maybe two to three to four months without hitting at all. It doesn't feel as bad as last time, so I'm hoping I don't get that again.
But, yeah, I won't be hitting anytime soon, I don't think.
Q. There's a lot of talk about you guys representing a pretty bright future for Australian tennis.
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I think we've got a good future coming up. Myself and Nick obviously did well this tournament. Nick has been doing well. Had good junior results.
And Ash Barty making the finals of a doubles is a pretty good effort for a 16 year old. Luke Saville did well; played his first main draw this year.
Yeah, I feel the older guys as well. Millman started playing in better form. Lleyton is starting to play better as well.
So I think we've got a good future coming up. And Bernie is obviously playing well again. So, yeah, it's good to see.
Q. Is it nice to have someone pretty much your own age like Nick to sort of drive you?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, we push each other. We travel a lot together. We're pretty good mates. It always helps training with each other and playing. Yeah, it's a good feeling.
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