Thanasi Kokkinakis saved four match points to win a five-set thriller against 17th-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime at Wimbledon on Thursday morning.
In a rollercoaster match spanning two days because of rain delays, the 28-year-old set tennis history by becoming the eighth man in this year’s draw to come back from two sets down in a 4-6, 5-7, 7-6 (11/9), 6-4, 6-4 victory against Auger-Aliassime.
It’s the most two sets to love comebacks in the first round at Wimbledon in the Open Era.
The match lasted four hours and 38 minutes, and finished more than 24 hours after it started. Having kept himself alive by surviving four match points in the third set tie-breaker before rain delayed the action on day two, Kokkinakis was a different player on day three to oust the 17th seed.
Asked about his vow in Paris to avoid continuing to put himself in positions where he had to launch massive comeback, Kokkinakis smiled and shook his head on Wednesday evening after his win.
“Clearly (I was thinking) ‘Not again,’ but I just do whatever it takes,” he said.
Kokkinakis will play France’s Lucas Pouille in the second round.
Source: news.com.au
