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Stefanos Tsitsipas and Thanasi Kokkinakis staged a memorable battle within the second spherical of the Australian Open with the fifth-seeded Greek topping the Australian wild card 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-4 after 4, 32 minutes of play.
Underneath the lights of Rod Laver Enviornment, the 2 males went blow for blow with Tsitsipas putting 78 winners and watching Kokkinakis hit 23 aces within the first assembly between the 2. The victory sends the Greek into the third spherical, the place he’ll face unseeded Swede Mikael Ymer.
Greek fights previous Aussie wild card in five-set thriller
Tsitsipas had the primary break possibilities of the match within the fourth recreation solely to see Kokkinakis save each with aces, the second after the fifth seed swung and missed on a second serve.
The Aussie then held his first two break possibilities of the competition within the seventh recreation with Tsitsipas responding in form to take a 4-3 lead. Kokkinakis then saved set level trailing 5-4 with an ace and the set ultimately would head to a tiebreaker.
Within the breaker, the 2 combatants went toe to toe till Kokkinakis introduced up set level with a forehand winner and a double fault by Tsitsipas meant the Aussie took it 7-5, claiming a one-set lead.
Lastly, within the third recreation of the second set, the Greek broke on his fifth probability of the sport as Kokkinakis despatched a weary-looking shot into the online for a 2-1 benefit.
No actual inroads had been made by both participant as they every held with relative ease. Serving for the set at 5-4, Tsitsipas had no problem, holding to like and squaring the match at one set all.
A backhand down the road arrange triple break level for Tsitsipas within the opening recreation of the third set and on the second of these alternatives, a 24-ball rally in favor of the Greek gave him the early momentum.
The fifth seed would benefit from a tiring Kokkinakis, choosing up a pair of extra breaks to blow the set large open and declare a two units to at least one lead.
Dominant serving was on show within the fourth seed as the 2 males mixed to lose 5 factors on serve via the primary 5 video games. Serving to remain within the match, Kokkinakis saved a match level, the fourth set, very similar to the primary, going to a tiebreaker.
Double faults and errors price Tsitsipas as Kokkinakis jumped out to a 5-1 lead within the breaker solely to look at the Greek degree issues. Owing to a boisterous residence crowd, the Aussie produces a spectacular, cross court docket forehand winner to drive a fifth and deciding set.
A 15-minute recreation within the remaining set, with seven deuces, put Kokkinakis out in entrance 2-1, however after a backhand that went lengthy, Tsitsipas gained the essential break for a 3-2 edge.
Kokkinakis rescued his subsequent service recreation from deuce, however it wasn’t sufficient as Tsitsipas watched the Aussie hit a return lengthy to clinch a hard-earned, well-played victory.
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