Aussie ace keen for challenges
RISING star Thanasi Kokkinakis wants to play with more freedom heading into the Australian Open, and he’s ready to test his progress against two top- 10 heavyweights this week.
Kokkinakis made a successful return to the court on Sunday with a three- set win over Canada’s Vasek Pospisil at the Hopman Cup.
Australia won the tie 2- 1, with Daria Gavrilova winning her singles match against Eugenie Bouchard.
Kokkinakis has been plagued by injuries over the past two years, and his No. 1 goal in 2018 is to stay healthy.
But he does not just want to make up the numbers on tour, and is desperate to make the most of his potential.
Kokkinakis will be back in action tonight when he takes on Belgium’s world No. 7 David Goffin at Perth Arena.
Then in Australia’s final group match against Germany on Friday night, Kokkinakis faces world No. 4 Alexander Zverev. Those two singles matches will give world No. 208 Kokkinakis an excellent gauge of where he sits on the tennis pecking order.
“It’s perfect for me. I know both of the guys pretty well,” Kokkinakis said. “It’s going to be a good level of tennis. I’ll just try and play my game, serve, volley, be aggressive.”
Kokkinakis soared into the world’s top 100 as a 19- year- old in 2015. And despite battling shoulder, groin, elbow, and abdominal injuries over the past two years, he doesn’t feel like he’s gone backwards.
“I think I’m a lot better player than I was before I was injured,” Kokkinakis said.