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.
Thanasi Kokkinakis will play Roberto Bautista Agut in the semi-finals of the Adelaide International 2. Photo: AAP/Matt Turner
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.
“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.
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
