Adelaide-born tennis titan and homegrown hero, Thanasi Kokkinakis has powered his way through January 12, in the second week of Adelaide International, to qualify for the semi-finals of the sports event.
Kokkinakis made it 12 wins from his last 14 matches in his home city with a stirring 6-4 6-7 (4) 6-1 victory over Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic.
It was a display of sustained ball-striking from the South Australian, who reeled off 57 winners to 20 on the way to grinding his opponent down.
The sixth game of the final set extended to 14 minutes as Kokkinakis eventually converted a sixth break point to send the locals into raptures.
“I was a bit flat after the second set, but the crowd really gave me some legs. I found energy like I always do here,” said Kokkinakis, from the court.
“I was holding my serve well all night quite easily, but I couldn’t squeeze a break in the second. I got going and played with a lot of freedom in the third.”
Entering the tournament with a mountain of points to defend after last year’s heroics, Kokkinakis is well on the way to the top as he gears up for a clash with Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, in what will be the first career meeting between the pair.
“He’s a hell of a player but I’ll just keep trying to do what I’m doing,” Kokkinakis said.
“I’ll be aggressive and won’t die wondering.”
Bautista Agut produced a complete performance in a straight-sets victory over his countryman Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
The world No.26 and Grand Slam semi-finalist dominated from the outset, breaking serve five times on the way to a 6-3 6-2 victory.
Bautista Agut reached the third round of the Australian Open last year before losing to America’s Taylor Fritz in five sets.
Earlier in the day, Jack Draper reversed last week’s loss to Karen Khachanov as he advanced to the semifinals with a 6-4 7-6(3) win.
Khachanov defeated Draper seven days prior in Adelaide, but the 21-year-old Brit turned the tables impressively, leading throughout to get his third win over a top-20 ranked opponent. Today’s win followed victories over Stefanos Tsitsipas in Montreal, and Felix Auger-Aliassime at the US Open.
Draper lifted his ranking from world No.262 to No.40 in a breakthrough 2022 season, the Adelaide semi-final marking his third ATP semifinal appearance in the past six months.
“I know I can achieve great things,” Draper said. “But there is a mountain of work to do.”
While the hype continues to grow around Draper, the third-highest ranked Brit behind Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans, he’s not allowing it to influence his approach.
“There’s always going to be a lot of noise. It’s important to keep your head down, and just get on with the job because you’re more likely to do it that way,” he said.
“I know I can be a very good player, but it doesn’t just happen.”
Draper will take on South Korea’s Soonwoo Kwon after the world No.84 dominated his quarter-final against Sweden’s Mikael Ymer.
Kwon dropped just 10 points in the first set, wrapping it up in 23 minutes, and it was similar story in the second as he completed the match 6-1 6-2 in under an hour.
The 25-year-old struck 21 winners to six and won a staggering 70% of points off his opponents serve.
Kwon and Draper faced off just last week in Adelaide, with Draper winning that clash 6-1 6-2.a
Roberto Bautista Agut, meanwhile, produced a complete performance in a straight-sets victory over Spanish countryman Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
The world No.26 and Grand Slam semi-finalist dominated from the outset, breaking serve five times on the way to a clash with either Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis or Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic.
Bautista Agut reached the third round of the Australian Open last year before losing to America’s Taylor Fritz in five sets.
As we enter Day 5 of the Adelaide International’s second event and semi-finals here’s what to expect for January 13:
DAY
Action starts at 12.00 noon for Day 4, Week 2 of the Adelaide International on Centre Court:
- 12pm Women’s doubles finals – Luisa Stefani and Taylor Townsend v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Elena Rybakina
- Not before 2pm Women’s semifinal – Paula Badosa v Daria Kasatkina
- Not before 4pm Men’s semifinal – Jack Draper v Soonwoo Kwon
NIGHT
- Not before 6:30pm Women’s semifinal – Caroline Garcia OR Belinda Bencic (pending result tonight) v Veronika Kudermetova
- Not before 8pm Men’s semifinal – Thanasi Kokkinakis v Roberto Bautista Agut
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