‘We Worry About the Tennis Second’: Thanasi Kokkinakis on Reaching Australian Open 2022 Finals with Nick Kyrgios

It is an all-Aussie Men’s doubles final at the Australian Open 2022. Wildcard pair of Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis beat the 3rd seed Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the semi-final. The pair will now face fellow Australian pair of Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell, eyeing their maiden Grandslam title. 

The Rod Laver Arena rose up in celebration, cheering in its loudest voice to support the Australian pair. However, the cheer became even louder when Thanasi thanked the fans for their love and support during the on-court interview.

Kokkinakis acknowledged the crowd, thanking them for their affection and warmth. He credited the fans for their performance on the court. 

It’s all about the fans for Thanasi Kokkinakis

It was a sea of emotions when Kyrgios and Kokkinakis won the final point to win the semi-final. The players and the crowd went gaga over the win. In the celebrations, it was the on-court interview that took the limelight.

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Thanasi, while addressing the crowd, appreciated and thanked the crowd for the support they showed for the players. He said, “When we come out here, to be honest, it’s all about the crowd, the atmosphere that gets us going. We worry about the tennis second. Playing in front of you guys gets the best out of us honestly. I don’t know if we’d have this result anywhere else.”

The already cheering crowd went a step further and doubled the noise to cheer for the pair who have entered their maiden Grand Slam final. 

The point which gave the Australian pair their first Grand Slam final

After winning the first set in a tie break, Kyrgios/Kokkinakis entered the second set with an elevated game. 

The pair were leading 5-4 in the second set and at 40-15 in the final game, the pair were eyeing to win the breakpoint. Kyrgios on the receiving end played a cross-court forehand. Granollers returned the ball with an approaching volley. However, it was Kokkinakis, who played the winning shot. The 25-year-old played a deep lob above Zeballos, landing the ball near the baseline, going on to win the match.

The pair took 1 hour 47 minutes to win the match 7-6, 6-4. Both players ran towards each other, celebrating their win. The two will be eyeing their maiden Grand Slam title at Australian Open 2022. 

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