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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 19, 2015

Thanasi Kokkinakis

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

T. KOKKINAKIS/E. Gulbis
5-7, 6-0, 1-6, 7-6, 8-6
An interview with:
THANASI KOKKINAKIS

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How do you feel? Mixture of delight and exhaustion, I'm sure.
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, a bit of both. Physically I feel pretty good. A lot better than I did last year. Obviously it wasn't as hot. Played longer against maybe a more experienced opponents. Really happy with how I felt physically. Yeah, I was thrilled with that win. Best win of my career. Had one last week or two weeks ago in Brisbane. And followed it up with a more important win today. I'm happy with how I played today.

Q. Was there a moment early in the fourth set when you thought it was going to be too hard?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: A little bit. I lost my form. I played a really good second set and got on top of him. I knew early games in the third set were important. I didn't get them and then he ran away with that set. Again, early games in these matches are huge. But I didn't do a good job of that. So he was up in the fourth I think 2-Love, but I kept making him play balls. He gave me a couple balls I think when I needed them. That gave me a spark again, and the crowd was unbelievable the whole night. They got me through again.

Q. What can a win like that do for your confidence?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Big things. Again, like last week, I showed up. A lot of matches last year I was winning a set against these good players, but never able to finish the match through. I'm really happy with how I stuck together. Even though I thought for a lot of the period of that time I wasn't playing my best tennis, I found a way to kind of get the points there, the games I needed to.

Q. How did you keep just finding a way? You kept finding ways in the big points.
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Big serves when I needed to. On the match points, I just trusted my weapons, what I work on every day, what my favorite shots are. I went for a few forehands. Maybe they were a bit lucky, but I would like to think skill. A bit of both. But I needed them and trusted them. There's no point shying away and pushing, because these good players are going to hit a winner past you anyway.

Q. How important was the time in Dubai practicing with Federer and the fitness side of things?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: It's very important. Did a lot of training, a lot of hitting there. It was just two weeks there. I did two weeks in Adelaide, a couple weeks in Melbourne. Just the whole base was big for me. I did a lot more running. I knew what I needed to do to play five-set tennis. Went through it last year; wasn't quite fit enough; found a way to win my first round. But this year I felt physically good, so I'm happy with how my body's holding up.

Q. Can you talk about the challenge on the serve? Were you saying because it was out you didn't make a genuine attempt to serve it back?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I definitely tried to hit it in, but I just hit it on the frame and it went into my side of the court. I probably wouldn't have won the point or made the return, but I just thought the call came and then he called it as it bounced and then I hit it. It was a complete miss-hit. I'm not going to avoid that. I just thought if you got a racquet on it replay the point, but the referee didn't think it came before contact.

Q. How well do you know your next opponent?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I know him pretty well. He was at Davis Cup last time. He's improved a lot. Big serve. Really good volleys. His groundies have improved as well. Again, like today, another big server. I'm going to see a few go past me. But I'm going to try to make it difficult for him, put it in spots where he doesn't like it, and hopefully when the big moment comes I'm ready to take the opportunity and step up.

Q. Did you practice in Perth a lot?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yes. Cottesloe grass courts, so different on hard court. But great atmosphere out there again today. Hopefully I'm sure it will be the same for two Aussies again.

Q. What kind of thoughts went through your mind when you challenged on the fifth set, the breakpoint, the ball barely caught the line?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: When I hit it I thought it was good, and then he challenged. I was like, Oh, no. Maybe it's out. They were both putting their fingers up. I was like pretty much really hope this is in, because if not I'm struggling. Didn't break his serve. One breakpoint. I think he aced me on it. I think I swung and I completely miss-hit it. I really needed that one to go in, and I'm thanking some people for that one.

Q. You had some flashy clothes to match the flashy plays today. Were you inspired at all by Andre Agassi with that outfit?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I don't know. You'll have to ask Nike. They gave me that package. They were like, We only give this to a few. If you're up for it, wear it. I was like, Yeah, whatever, I'll do it. I wore the stripes last year, but that was nothing compared to what I wore this year. So I was out there, and I was like surely in this outfit I've got to get the win.

Q. Were the shorts comfortable or not?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: It was a bit annoying. I saw it dangling at the bottom there, so I tried to flick it over. No, that felt fine. I prefer shorter shorts. It makes me run easier.

Q. It will probably be on the front pages of the newspapers. Or you don't care about it?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: It was exciting. I know it was a good win. There's more to come. I don't want to win just one round. Obviously it was my best win yet. I'll enjoy it for the rest of the night, but tomorrow I'll need to get prepared for the next match two days away against Sam.

Q. Are you going to have a quiet word to Nick about trying to upstage your match?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I saw him in the changing rooms. We congratulated each other. It's a good win for both of us. Hopefully we can go further in the draw.

Q. How far can you go?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I don't know. We'll see. I'm not putting a limit on myself. I'm just taking it match by match. I beat a guy that made the semis of the French. He probably wasn't in his best form tonight. You can only control what you can control, so just tried to make things uncomfortable for him. Yeah, he's beaten some good players before and I've beaten him, so we'll see how it goes.

Q. There will be inevitable comparisons to Lleyton Hewitt with the five-set grinding win.
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: He's done it a few more times than once. He sets the benchmark for all Australian players with how he fights. Still going strong. Playing good tennis at this age. So it's always good, especially in Davis Cup, to have him around. He's real supportive when you talk to him. I like hanging around with him a bit.

Q. Was it a particular focus for you to take big risks on the big points?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I just thought I had to. It's my favorite shot. On that point he was playing pretty solid. I needed to come up with what I practice for. My forehand is my favorite shot. I was just looking for it. Luckily it came off.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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