Local favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis’ dream of back-to-back Adelaide International titles is well and truly alive after the hometown hero stunned world No.6 Andrey Rublev in a highly entertaining encounter at Memorial Drive.
Serving for the match, Kokkinakis was down 0-30 but fought back to convert his second match point to claim a brilliant 6-4 3-6 6-3 win in just under two hours on Wednesday night.
The pivotal moment in the match came in the fourth game of the third set when Kokkinakis converted the second of two break points to go 3-1 up then hold serve to bundle out the top seed.
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“I’ve had my best memories on this court,” a jubilant Kokkinakis said.
“It’s something that you only dream of as a kid.
“It was an incredible atmosphere.
“I’m stoked I got one of the biggest wins of my career (here).”
The win sets up a quarterfinal meeting with sixth-seeded Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic, who defeated Queenslander Jason Kubler in three sets on Wednesday.
Rublev, the inaugural Adelaide International champion in 2020, was playing his first match of the tournament on Wednesday night after the top seed was granted a bye in the first round and he looked short of a run in a disjointed opening.
The hard-hitting Russian, known for his ballistic style of play, was unable to find any rhythm in the first set due in no small part to the outstanding play of Kokkinakis.
Rublev managed to land just 55 per cent of his first serves, with Kokkinakis relentlessly attacking his second serve, the local hero winning 11 points from 14 second serves faced.
With fans still settling into their seats, Kokkinakis broke to go 2-1 up in the first.
As the setting sun threw shadows across the court, an agitated Rublev roared in frustration after one of his six unforced errors in the first set and later motioned to his coach that he was having trouble seeing the ball.
Kokkinakis had no such issues, however, the world No.110 consolidating the break and taking the first set in 39 minutes.
With Rublev off the boil, Kokkinakis’ only real issue in the first set was with the chair umpire, who issued him a time violation for taking too long to serve.
Kokkinakis remonstrated loudly with the umpire and went on with the heated exchange in the break between sets.
Perhaps there was something in Rublev’s sighting issues because with the sun disappeared behind the stands by the start of the second set he suddenly started to find the lines he had so often been missing by a long way.
The resurgent Russian ripped off eight straight points to break in the fourth game then hold to go 4-1 up in a devastating blitz.
Serving for set, Rublev saved two break points, the first created by a searing forehand return winner by Kokkinakis, to level the match.
