Thanasi Kokkinakis serves up a stunning victory in the opening round of the US Open 2024 men’s singles competition.
New York, USA, 28 August 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Thanasi Kokkinakis has scored a stunning upset in the opening round of the US Open 2024 men’s singles competition.
The 28-year-old Australian knocked out world No.11 Stefanos Tsitsipas at Flushing Meadows today, recording an impressive 7-6(5) 4-6 6-3 7-5 victory.
“I had a five-set battle with him a couple of years ago at the Australian Open and I was expecting a war,” Kokkinakis said in his post-match interview.
“It was physical out there and I have a tendency to sometimes drag these matches on and have some real long battles, but I just tried to stay focused, stay the course and just tried to play every point.”
It is only Kokkinakis’ second main-draw win at Flushing Meadows and his first since 2019.
“I’ve never felt like I’ve played my best tennis here, which is surprising because it should suit me and my game,” said Kokkinakis, who was a US Open boys’ singles finalist in 2013.
He was thrilled to buck that trend against Tsitsipas, crediting a training block in Florida earlier this month for his high level.
“It’s my best win at a Grand Slam for sure,” he said. “A lot of hard work has gone into it, (as well as) just staying positive and competing my nuts off really.”
AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE 🇦🇺
Thanasi Kokkinakis notches the biggest win of his career at Grand Slam level! pic.twitter.com/SOUaex1jAs
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 27, 2024
After clinching the biggest win of his Grand Slam singles career, world No.86 Kokkinakis celebrated by falling onto his back.
“I mean, it’s a bit embarrassing doing it after a first round but I’ll take it,” he said.
“I’ve had a couple, a lot, of hard losses when I’ve been in winning positions, so that was all relief. That one meant a lot, so I’m super excited.”
This is Kokkinakis’ third top-20 win at a Grand Slam tournament. He beat world No.13 Ernests Gulbis as a teenage wildcard at Australian Open 2015 and then saved four match points to eliminate world No.17 Felix Auger-Aliassime in the opening round at Wimbledon last month.
Kokkinakis, who next faces world No.34 Nuno Borges of Portugal in the second round, joins compatriots Alex de Minaur, Jordan Thompson, Max Purcell and Tristan Schoolkate as Aussie winners so far on day two at Flushing Meadows.
The 23-year-old…
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