Thanasi Kokkinakis has rekindled memories of his 2021 breakthrough title run in Adelaide, reaching the quarterfinals of his hometown tournament with a hard-fought 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(4) victory over Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
The 28-year-old South Australian, ranked No. 77, thrilled a sold-out crowd at The Drive, battling for more than three hours in a tense encounter.
Kokkinakis hit 23 aces and kept his composure in a pivotal third-set tiebreak, where he seized a 3-1 lead before clinching the win.
“You guys are unbelievable,” Kokkinakis said to the cheering crowd. “Every time I come out here, I can count on you guys to bring the energy. I don’t love playing anywhere else more than this.”
The win sets up a quarterfinal clash with No. 2 seed Sebastian Korda, a player Kokkinakis has yet to beat in three prior encounters.
Reflecting on a tight loss to Korda in Washington last year, he added, “I had match points on him… so that one I’ve kind of still got demons about that, to be honest.”
Source: Adelaide International.
