Thanasi Kokkinakis

[DUN I LOVE]

Pierwszy tytuł w singlu + pierwszy tytuł WS.

Super start w 2022.

[Damian]

Kokkinakis & Kyrgios Complete Dream Run, Win Australian Open

Spoiler:

They defeat Ebden and Purcell in all-Aussie final
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios completed their dream Australian Open run late Saturday evening when they defeated fellow Aussies Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell 7-5, 6-4 to lift the trophy.

The crowd favourites, who thrilled fans throughout the tournament with their entertaining play, are the first wild cards to win the event in the Open Era and the first wild cards to triumph at any major since Wimbledon in 2012, when Jonathan Marray and Frederik Nielsen were victorious.

"This week has been a dream come true for me. I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else," Kyrgios said during the trophy ceremony. "Max has been to the final twice, so he's a hell of a doubles player. Matty's had a hell of a career, so I'm just super happy."

<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/than ... w'>Thanasi Kokkinakis</a> and <a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/nick ... view'>Nick Kyrgios</a>
Photo Credit: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
This was the pair's fourth appearance at a major together. But in their three previous Grand Slam appearances, they won just one match. At this year's Australian Open, Kokkinakis and Kyrgios defeated four seeded opponents — top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, 15th seeds Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar, sixth seeds Tim Puetz and Michael Venus and third seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos — en route to the trophy.
"Nick, I love you brother. I can honestly say we did not expect to even come close to this, but with the help of you guys all week, [it has] been unbelievable," Kokkinakis said. "The coverage it got and the support for us, we couldn't ask for anything more."

Heavy hitting from Kokkinakis and Kyrgios off the ground proved too much in the big moments in their one-hour, 35-minute victory. Purcell saved the first championship point at 3-5 in the second set with a big serve out wide. But in the next game, Kyrgios held to love.

The champions completed their victory when Kokkinakis punched a backhand volley through the middle of the court for a winner. Kokkinakis and Kyrgios dropped their racquets and immediately sprinted into a chest bump before embracing to celebrate their big win.

<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/than ... w'>Thanasi Kokkinakis</a> and <a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/nick ... view'>Nick Kyrgios</a>
Photo Credit: Damian Traynor/Getty Images
In the first set, Kokkinakis hit big off the ground to claim the match’s first break, on his team’s fourth break point chance of the game, for 6-5. Their break in the second set, at 3-3, also came off big hitting from Kokkinakis, who struck a forehand that drew a volley error from Ebden.

Kokkinakis and Kyrgios are the first all-Australian men’s doubles champions at the Australian Open since Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde triumphed in 1997. Both men are known for their singles play, but despite Adelaide champion Kokkinakis (first round) and Kyrgios (second round) losing in the singles draw by the second round, they bounced back to create a memorable run in the doubles.

"It's been a rough couple years for me personally... but what a month we've had. I couldn't ask for anything more," Kokkinakis said. "Coming into the Aussie Open, I was already happy, and this is a crazy cherry on top."

This was Ebden and Purcell's second tournament together after reaching last year's Australian Open quarter-finals. In 2020, Purcell made the Australian Open final with Luke Saville.

"They adapted really well. Gotta give them credit. We didn't do too much wrong. They were roping balls, front and centre lobs at our toes, smoking huge serves," Ebden said. "We sort of did everything we could, but just wasn't our day."

Did You Know?
This was the first all-Australian men’s doubles final at the Australian Open since Mark Edmondson and Kim Warwick defeated Peter McNamara and Paul McNamee in the 1980 championship match.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/austral ... bles-final

[Bombardiero]

[Bombardiero]

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Art]

[Art]

[Kamileki]

[Mario]

[Barty]

[Damian]

Kokkinakis Completes Comeback, Fires Australia Into Davis Cup Finals

Thanasi Kokkinakis completed the Australian comeback on Saturday in Sydney, overcoming Hungarian Zsombor Piros, 6-4, 6-4, to fire the former champion into the Davis Cup Finals.

With the tie resuming at 1-1 on day two of the Davis Cup qualifiers, Hungary moved ahead after Fabian Marozsan and Mate Valkusz downed John Peers and Luke Saville, 6-4, 6-4. However, World No. 30 Alex de Minaur levelled the clash with a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory over Marton Fucsovics, setting the stage for Adelaide International 2 titlist Kokkinakis to seal Australia’s 3-2 win.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/davis-c ... s-saturday

[Art]

[Damian]

Kokkinakis: 'You're Only One Week From Turning Your Career Around'

Spoiler:

Aussie, battling back to his best, competing in Indian Wells qualifying
Thanasi Kokkinakis’ struggles with injury and illness have been well-covered. The Australian has admitted there have been plenty of doubts about whether he would ever reach his potential.

But with the biggest breakthrough of his career in January — winning his first ATP Tour singles title in Adelaide and triumphing in the Australian Open doubles with Nick Kyrgios — Kokkinakis has changed the narrative.

“I proved that the mind is probably the most important thing. Obviously you’ve got to have some skill and a work ethic to balance it out, but if you’re strong with your mind and you keep pushing, you never know,” Kokkinakis told ATPTour.com. “The fortunate thing with tennis is you’re only a week away from turning your career around, so that’s the biggest thing.”

<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/than ... w'>Thanasi Kokkinakis</a>
Thanasi Kokkinakis celebrates his first ATP Tour singles title in Adelaide. Photo Credit: Tennis Australia.
Kokkinakis first cracked the Top 100 in the ATP Rankings in May of 2015, just after his 19th birthday. But since then, the Australian has had his fair share of ups and downs, suffering injuries to his shoulder, abdominal and pectoral just to name a few. He also missed all of 2020 due to mono.

Last year, Kokkinakis mostly spent his days on the ATP Challenger Tour. He began this season at World No. 171.

“It seemed far even in December,” Kokkinakis said of a big breakthrough. “I knew I was capable of winning a couple of matches. I knew what I could play like [at my] top level, but to back it up and have that consistency, that’s been the most impressive part.”

Now Kokkinakis is back in the Top 100 for the first time in six years and he will look to continue his surge at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. The fan favourite believes there is a lesson others can take from his journey.

“I think it’s just not going to happen overnight. There are a lot of steps that need to be done and keeping the faith, keeping the hope a little bit [is important],” Kokkinakis said. “It can seem very, very far away, but a lot of the time if you put some good days together, some good weeks and some good months together and keep going slowly, that’s the way forward.

“Hopefully they saw the story of what the past few years have been like for me and if that gives them some positivity, that’s perfect for me.”

<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/than ... w'>Thanasi Kokkinakis</a> and <a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/nick ... view'>Nick Kyrgios</a>
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios lift the Australian Open doubles trophy. Photo Credit: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.
The 25-year-old has had little time to celebrate. Kokkinakis departed Australia on 1 March. He was able to enjoy himself by taking in a basketball game between the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets, later catching up with Nets player Patty Mills, who is also Australian. But after tournaments in Delray Beach and Acapulco, he is back to business.

“There’s not really much time to reset as a tennis player. For something that big to happen to me in January, a lot of other sports that’s like winning the championship, you have a lot of time off and celebrate for a while, refresh and go again,” Kokkinakis said. “In tennis you don’t really have much time for that and if you do, you risk getting left behind. That’s the tricky thing. I’ve just got to find a way and get myself going again.”

Kokkinakis admitted that there “definitely feels like a weight off my shoulders” following his big effort Down Under. But with that, there is extra pressure, which is something he eventually wanted. The World No. 94 understands every week will likely not be as successful as his runs in Adelaide and Melbourne, but that will not stop him from trying.

“I think you want to make the most of the opportunity I’ve given myself. You want to see how far you can push it,” Kokkinakis said. “It was a little tough trying to get myself going again after the January I had. I felt like I was playing for a whole month every day, every other day. [It is about] trying to get myself mentally into a spot where i’m like, ‘Hang on, there’s a lot more work to do’ and try to get the most out of myself.”

One of the most difficult things for Kokkinakis was actually leaving Australia. He returned home last November, but said during the preseason it is tough to spend quality time with friends and family because of training. Although it was tough for him to head back on the road, he hopes to make the most of his momentum.

“It’s been a pretty crazy start to the year,” Kokkinakis said. “It’s not something I expected, but it’s definitely something I worked really hard for.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/kokkina ... 22-feature

[Mario]

[Damian]

[Damian]

[robpal]

[DUN I LOVE]

Pavić i Mektić dają ciała, może Thanasi zostanie najlepszym deblistą świata 2022, jeżeli w singlu trochę wyhamował.

[Damian]