DJOKER NEXT IN HAND
THANASI Kokkinakis made it third time lucky when he broke through to win his first singles match at Wimbledon on Monday, setting up a bittersweet showdown against Novak Djokovic.
Finally free of the injury problems that have plagued his singles progression, Kokkinakis had all the answers to beat Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak 7-6 6-2 7-5.
“To get it done, especially in straight sets, for my first win at Wimbledon, couldn’t be happier,” Kokkinakis said on Monday.
“Super happy to get that done in front of a pretty rowdy court 16.”
The Australian’s previous two appearances in the main draw at Wimbledon ended in first-round losses. And it’s taken him seven years to get back in, after a combination of injuries and nearmisses in the qualifiers.
His reward for winning is a mixed bag. Though he’ll get to play on one of the main courts, he’ll be up against Djokovic, who is on a mission.
They’ve only played each other once before - at the French Open in 2015, which the Serb won 6-4 6-4 6-6 on the red clay - so Kokkinakis is going in with the approach he has nothing to lose.
“I can’t wait for the opportunity,” he said.
“It’s obviously going to be a really tough challenge. I’m probably not the favourite, let’s put it that way, but it’s going to be good fun out there. I’m going to swing free hopefully and play my game.
“He’s a brick wall, so you kind of got to beat him. He’s not going to beat himself.”
As the defending champion, Djokovic knows what to expect.
The grass season is so short that he tries to use his early-round matches to perfect things he’ll need when the stakes are higher in week two, also knowing his rivals across the net will be going for broke.
“Your opponents don’t have much to lose, so they’re going to go for it more, believing they can get the scalp,” Djokovic said.
While it’s true that a lot of the best players are vulnerable in the earlier rounds, Kokkinakis doesn’t think that applies to Djokovic, who he said was harder to beat than fellow greats Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
“I don’t think there’s a right time to play him. You just got to go out there against him and play your game,” Kokkinakis said.
“I’ve beaten some good players before and obviously the best-offive (sets) is a different kettle of fish.
“Novak is kind of a brick wall. Federer plays with a little bit more flair. When I played Rafa, I just felt like I just wasn’t on the same level physically as him. Not many people are. Everyone brings something different.’’