After pushing twelfth seed Taylor Fritz to 5 units within the third spherical of Roland Garros, Thanasi Kokkinakis feels he’s on the cusp of beating the highest gamers on the sport’s largest levels.
Paris, France, 2 June 2024 | Matt Trollope
After coming by five-sets wins within the first and second rounds at Roland Garros, Thanasi Kokkinakis admitted he was “operating on fumes” getting into his third-round conflict with Taylor Fritz.
“Discovering a win ugly is best than not successful in any respect,” Kokkinakis mentioned. “(However) it’s powerful, I actually need to attempt to do it simpler.”
It made sense, then, when Fritz stormed to a two-set lead in simply over an hour. However impressively, Kokkinakis made this one other epic, wresting the third and fourth units from the highest American and giving him a scare early within the fifth earlier than succumbing 6-3 6-2 6-7(4) 5-7 6-3.
“I used to be actually shut, I discovered a technique to put myself in an actual good place. Wasn’t to be. Can’t win all of them,” Kokkinakis lamented after bowing out in a near-four-hour contest.
“This was clearly the closest I’ve been to creating the fourth spherical, in order that one from that side is hard.
“Typically you win these lengthy tight ones, generally you lose them; the margins in tennis are very fantastic.
“The one factor I can do is preserve exhibiting up and preserve placing myself in positions, and have that good perspective and see how we go.”
Illustrating that time about margins, Kokkinakis very almost pulled off a second straight comeback from two-sets-to-love down in Paris, having finished so within the second spherical towards Giulio Zeppieri.
After levelling the match towards Fritz at two units all, Kokkinakis held break factors in each the third and fifth video games earlier than the American escaped.
It leaves Alex de Minaur because the final remaining Australian within the singles draw this yr at Roland Garros.
> READ MORE: De Minaur battles into fourth spherical at Roland Garros
This may have represented Kokkinakis’ biggest-ever win, by rating, at a Grand Slam occasion had he gone on to beat world No.12 Fritz, coming greater than 9 years on from his upset of Thirteenth-ranked Ernests Gulbis at Australian Open 2015.
And after three journeys to the third spherical at Roland Garros – the key the place he now clearly performs greatest – Kokkinakis was extraordinarily near progressing to the final 16 at a Slam for the primary time.
“I’m getting nearer and nearer. I’m hoping a breakthrough’s not too distant,” mentioned the world No.100.
“However I’ve obtained to maintain working, obtained to maintain giving myself alternatives towards these large guys. As a result of I’ve confirmed I’ve obtained the flexibility to beat these guys, so I’ve simply obtained to maintain placing myself within the place to present myself an opportunity to take action.
“I believe I’m rather a lot nearer than my rating would counsel; (that) has been the case in all probability an extended a part of my profession.
“However I’ve simply obtained to maintain placing the runs on the board.”
Aussies in motion – Roland Garros
RESULTS
Males’s singles, third spherical
[11] Alex de Minaur (AUS) d Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-3
[12] Taylor Fritz (USA) d Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) 6-3 6-2 6-7(4) 5-7 6-3
COMING UP
Males’s singles, fourth spherical
[11] Alex de Minaur (AUS) v [5] Daniil Medvedev
> VIEW: Roland Garros 2024 males’s singles draw
Males’s doubles, first spherical
[2] Matt Ebden (AUS)/Rohan Bopanna (IND) v [Alt] Orlando Luz (BRA)/Marcelo Zormann (BRA)
John-Patrick Smith (AUS)/Denys Molchanov (UKR) v Petros Tsitsipas (GRE)/Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE)
Males’s doubles, second spherical
Max Purcell (AUS)/Jordan Thompson (AUS) v [7] Wesley Koolhof (NED)/Nikola Mektic (CRO) 4-6 6-4 1-1 to complete
John Friends (AUS)/Roman Safiullin v [10] Sander Gille (BEL)/Joran Vliegen (BEL)
Rinky Hijikata (AUS)/Guido Andreozzi (ARG) v TBC
> VIEW: Roland Garros 2024 males’s doubles draw
Girls’s doubles, second spherical
[2] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) v Wang Xiyu (CHN)/Yuan Yue (CHN)
> VIEW: Roland Garros 2024 girls’s doubles draw
Blended doubles, first spherical
Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA)/John Friends (AUS) v [5] Vera Zvonareva/Sander Gille (BEL)
Blended doubles, second spherical
[1] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Matt Ebden (AUS) v TBC
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