Kokkinakis caps winning day for Aussies in Adelaide

6 January 2025, by AAP / Adelaide International
Thanasi Kokkinakis battles through a challenging first round at Adelaide International 2025.

Thanasi Kokkinakis battles through a challenging first round at Adelaide International 2025.

Home town favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis survived a tough examination before wrapping up a day of success for Australian players at the Adelaide International on Monday.

Kokkinakis, winner of the event back in 2022, reckoned he was glad to be back on his favourite court at Memorial Drive as he negotiated a tricky first round date with Japanese left-hander Yoshihito Nishioka.

His 6-3 3-6 6-3 victory, completed just before midnight, sealed a fine day for home players with Chris O’Connell earlier having been left breathing easier after edging out Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.

Kokkinakis, who’d beaten Rinderknech in that 2022 final, had an uneven contest, playing lights-out tennis in the first set but then suffering a lapse of concentration in the second when he had seemed in total control.

He then regrouped in the decider, breaking twice for a 5-1 lead before another fightback from the Japanese, who also saved three match points at 5-3 down before Kokkinakis finally prevailed after two hours 10 minutes, satisfied with his 41 winners and 15 aces.

“It’s definitely my favourite court,” Adelaide’s world No.77 told the crowd afterwards.

After failing to take advantage of early break-point chances in the second set, Kokkinakis reflected with a smile: “I never like when it’s going too well, because I’m just kind of waiting for something bad to happen – and it kind of did.

“It could have been maybe a straight-sets match — but that’s tennis — and he fought and played some good tennis. Then you guys lifted me in that third set.”

O’Connell defeated Rinderknech 7-5 7-6(5) to stave off a rankings drop.  After making the quarterfinals last year at The Drive, O’Connell stood to fall from his position inside the world’s top 70 with an early exit in the South Australian capital.

But the 30-year-old withstood a serving barrage and recovered from a mini break down in the second-set tiebreak to post his first win of a challenging summer.

“I had a tough match in Brisbane – had a match point, so that hurt,” O’Connell said of his three-sets loss in the first round in Queensland to American Alex Michelsen.

“So first match of the year, getting your first win of the year is always very helpful.”

> READ MORE: Thanasi Kokkinakis serves up laughs at Adelaide presser

O’Connell’s victory came after Australian pair James Duckworth and Adam Walton edged into the main draw after winning all-Australian duels in the final phase of qualifying.

Duckworth downed wildcard Jacob Bradshaw 6-2 6-2, and Walton secured a 1-6 7-6 (4) 6-4 comeback win over Rinky Hijikata, who subsequently entered the main draw as a lucky loser.

In other men’s matches on Monday, Denis Shapovalov claimed an upset win over No.9 seed Zhizhen Zhang.

Australian teenager Emerson Jones claimed the biggest win of her career when she stunned world No.37 Wang Xinyu with the loss of just four games.

Paula Badosa returned to winning form when she outclassed qualifier Peyton Stearns 6-7 6-3 7-5.

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