Thanasi Kokkinakis produces another upset to move into Adelaide International semi-final
Thanasi Kokkinakis is into the semi-finals in his Adelaide International 2 title defence. Photo: AAP
Thanasi Kokkinakis has produced a second stirring upset in as many days to keep hopes of retaining his home Adelaide International 2 title alive.
The 26-year-old backed up a three-set win over world No.6 Andrey Rublev with a 6-3 6-7 (7-4) 6-1 victory over 28th-ranked Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia on Thursday night.
Kokkinakis set up a semi-final against another top 30 player, Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, at the tournament where he secured a maiden ATP title 12 months ago.
He hit 59 winners, including 22 aces, served strongly in key moments and picked up a crucial break early in the third set after a flat second-set tiebreak.
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“I was a little flat coming out, but you guys (the crowd) gave me legs,” Kokkinakis said on court.
“I got my game together in that third set and started to play a little freer and went after my shots.
“I didn’t sleep much after (Wednesday night’s win over Rublev) at all. I reckon I got to sleep at 5am and maybe got a couple of hours.
“Nothing ridiculous. I was tucked away doing my compression boot. I just couldn’t sleep for whatever reason.”
Kokkinakis, ranked 110, has drawn a tricky first-round opponent at next week’s Australian Open in Italian veteran Fabio Fognini.
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Bautista Agut earlier breezed past fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 6-2 in one of several daytime quarter-finals.
Young British star Jack Draper will meet lucky loser Soonwoo Kwon in the other semi-final after both had straight-sets wins.
Ranked world No.40, Draper upset Karen Khachanov 6-4 7-6 (7-3) to exact revenge after he fell to the Russian last week in the first of two Adelaide tournaments.
The pair also engaged in a third-round battle at the US Open last year before Draper had to retire in the third set due to injury.
The 21-year-old Draper showed some nerves while serving for the match, allowing the world No.20 back into Thursday’s contest.
But he regained his composure to power through the tiebreak.
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“Against guys like Karen, you can’t give them an inch or they run away with it,” Draper said of the 2022 US Open semi-finalist.
“Last game I got a bit nervous but that’s all part of the game, I’m still young, I’m still learning.
“It was a good match. I did well to impose my game on him.”
Kwon, meanwhile, beat Swedish qualifier Mikael Ymer 6-1 6-2 in exactly an hour.
-AAP
