British No.1 Jack Draper silenced a raucous Melbourne crowd to hold off home favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis to win a five-set classic to reach the third round of the Australian Open.
Kokkinakis served for the match in the fourth set but 15th seed Draper staged a remarkable comeback to win 6-7 (7-3) 6-3 3-6 7-5 6-3 in an epic at John Kane Arena.
When asked by John McEnroe how he made his comeback, Draper replied:
“I’m really proud of the way I competed today and I’m very happy about that. I’m getting better every set and I’m really proud of the way I play tennis.”
Draper arrived at Melbourne Park still struggling to recover from a hamstring injury he picked up in pre-season and has yet to find his best form.
But the US Open semi-finalist again showed huge heart and fighting spirit to reach the third round for the first time here, where he will play another Australian without a title. Alexander Vukic on Friday. If Draper wins that, he could face Novak Djokovic in the fourth round.
For the 15th seed, Draper was booed when he took to the court, although it wasn’t quite the bear pit that Nick Kyrgios had created.
Kokkinakis was on serve in the first game, but he produced a stunning performance, missing just three of 35 first serves in the first set, which he finished in a tiebreak.
Draper’s double fault at 2-3 was costly, but she also lacked conviction on her groundstrokes in the crunch, while Kokkinakis didn’t waver in her full approach.
It looked unlikely that Kokkinakis would be able to maintain his serve level and he promptly fell in the second set, a double fault costing him a break in the second game.
Kokkinakis hit back but a terrific volley from the top of the net gave Draper another break at 5-3 and the British number one converted to level the match.
Kokkinakis couldn’t find a way against Draper on the line
He looked to be in the ascendancy early in the third with Kokkinakis clearly in pain but unable to capitalize on his chances and the crowd roared as the Australian took the lead once more.
Controlling the atmosphere was becoming quite the challenge for umpire Marijana Veljovic, and Kokkinakis sportily awarded Draper a point in the fourth set when she allowed an interference just as the Briton hit a winner.
Kokkinakis had already broken away and looked to be on his way to victory, but crossing the line has been the 28-year-old’s Achilles heel throughout his career.
Draper experienced this last year in Davis Cup when he beat the Australian, and in a 5-4 victory, Kokkinakis tightened his hold by giving back the break.
Two games later, Draper broke again to win the set, pumping his fist in an emphatic tone while his opponent looked skyward.
Kokkinakis continued to swing in the deciding set, but he was unable to capitalize on a 3-3 tie, with Draper booed by the crowd as he walked back to his chair.
But he had the last laugh as Kokkinakis’ resistance was broken in the next game and Draper served it to love.
Scot Fearnley comes from behind to beat Kazo
Jacob Fearnley set up a clash with second seed Alexander Zverev in the third round
Jacob Fearnley broke more ground to set up a third-round clash with the No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev.
The 23-year-old’s professional tennis career has been moving at an unprecedented pace and he followed up his first-round upset of Nick Kyrgios with a 3-6 7-5 6-2 6-3 win over France’s Arthur Cazzo.
It is the first time the Scot, who only dropped out of college in the United States last spring, has been ranked 32nd at a Grand Slam.
Fearnley was expecting a more low-key atmosphere than the pot at John Kane Arena on Monday, but Melbourne Park’s Court 6 has a side bar for spectators and the established fans were keen to have a good time.
At least the Briton had his fair share of support this time around, while there was also a lively section cheering on Cazzo, who knocked out 28th seed Sebastian Baez in the first round.
The contest got off to a false start when rain swirled around Melbourne Park and Kazo won both games with several delays before the players had to retire.
When they returned, Fearnley quickly found themselves 5-1 down, but he took one of the breaks to get into the game and the momentum swung from there.
He began to overcome the light Kazou, using his forehand to great effect, and when he broke serve to take the second set, Fearnley maintained control of the race to reach the third round.
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