Beaten Kokkinakis in world of pain
THANASI Kokkinakis has complained his “whole body is a shambles” as he bowed out of the Australian Open yesterday.
The South Australian was again rocked by right shoulder and calf problems throughout a topsy-turvy first-round loss to Russian Daniil Medvedev 6-2 6-7 7-6 6-4.
The issues continue a dev- astating injury run which wiped out Kokkinakis’s 2016 season and will again raise fresh questions about his body’s ability to handle topline tennis.
Yet Kokkinakis, 21, fought on bravely in the third set and buoyed hopes of a miracle win when he took a commanding 3-0 lead in the tie-break.
After a poor start in the first set, Kokkinakis again showed the power and potential of his forehand which put Medvedev under serious pressure late in the third set.
The 75-minute third set proved decisive as Medvedev claimed an early break in the fourth and showed considerable focus in the face of a patriotic Melbourne Park crowd.
Kokkinakis’s injury problems began to unravel earlier in the third set when the local hope shouted towards his coach’s box and complained of shoulder and calf problems.
Channel 7 microphones heard him tell the chair umpire “My whole body is a shambles. I’d like to say it was one thing. It’s the whole thing.”
Kokkinakis received medical treatment three times throughout the third set but Medvedev also had his own troubles with the heat and fatigue and momentarily left the door ajar for the Australian to launch a comeback.