Title defence alive as Kokkinakis storms into semis
Thanasi Kokkinakis has produced a second stirring upset in as many days to keep alive his hopes of retaining his home town title at the Adelaide International 2.
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 Serbian world no.28 Miomir Kecmanovic on Thursday night.
Kokkinakis set up a semi-final against Spaniard 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 losing the second-set tiebreak.
“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.
You might like
“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.
Bautista Agut earlier breezed past fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 6-2 in one of several daytime quarter-finals.
Stay informed, daily
Young British star Jack Draper will meet lucky loser Soonwoo Kwon in the other semi-final after both won in straight sets.
Ranked 40th in the world, 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 the two Adelaide tournaments.
Kwon, meanwhile, beat Swedish qualifier Mikael Ymer 6-1 6-2 in exactly one hour.
Spain’s top female player Paula Badosa overcame the heat and a plucky showing from improved Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia to reach the semi-finals of the women’s draw.
World No.11 Badosa clinched a 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 victory after spending two hours and 34 minutes on court.
Badosa will meet world No.8 Daria Kasatkina for a place in the final and a shot at a fourth career title after the Russian bettered Petra Kvitova 6-3 7-6 (7-3) in the quarter-finals.
The other semi-final will feature world No.9 Russian Veronika Kudermetova, who saved several second-set match points against last year’s Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins.
Kudermetova came from a set back in the 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 victory and will face world no.13 Belinda Bencic for a place in Saturday’s final.
-AAP
