ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL

January 12, 2023

Thanasi Kokkinakis

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Into the semifinals here in Adelaide for the third time in the last four outings. 22 aces tonight, very impressive. Talk about the win.

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, I knew it wasn't going to be easy. Kecmanovic is a hell of a player. He's a brick wall from the back, doesn't give much away. I knew I had to serve well and play big and take my chances, and I did that. I was able to jump him early.

It was a bit scrappy the first two sets, a lot of serving, not a whole lot of kind of rhythm play, but he started to play better as the match went on, and there was a couple crucial games start of the third set but luckily I got through it, and I started to play some really good tennis towards the end there, so yeah, stoked again.

Q. That game in the third set, 14 plus minutes, I think it was nine deuces, seven break points. Have you played a game like that before that you can remember?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I definitely would have but not for a while. My mentality was okay. I knew I didn't do too much wrong I felt on those break points. Maybe a couple I rushed, but he played good points, took it out of my hands. One of them got a net tape and went away for a winner. That was pretty frustrating. But physically I felt really good, and mentally I was kind of dialed in. I knew my game felt good, and yeah, just tried to stay in the moment and capitalize. I knew to get that insurance, that second break was massive, so yeah, a lot of times in the past my head would drop and I wouldn't take those chances, but I thought mentally I was pretty good tonight, so happy with that.

Q. Do you feel any different to the tournament this year compared to this week last year with all the emotions were running so high?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Emotions running high again. I've tried to kind of calm it down a little bit. I was a bit anxious last night for some reason. Obviously I had one of my bigger wins in years, just yeah, I didn't really sleep well at all, to be honest, so I wasn't sure how I was going to come out here.

But I feel like I'm playing better tennis this time around than I did last year. I scraped through a lot of matches last year. Obviously played really well to win the title, but I feel like I'm playing some good tennis off the ground and showing what I can do.

Q. What parts of your game weren't you happy with in the first two sets, because you looked in pretty decent control. Certainly no break points against. What were you wanting to improve there?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I was obviously serving really well. He wasn't really going close to my serve. I think he had a Love-30 once really early on in the match that I was able to sneak out, but it's really tough that first match, to be honest, to try and see and find that rhythm. I found returning really tough. Didn't return as well as I would have liked until the last sort of few games in the third set where I started to actually find my return a little bit.

Probably just the return start of the second set had a few 30-Alls that I didn't capitalize on, so that was the frustrating part for me, and there were a lot of short rallies, so I didn't quite have the rhythm off the ground that I wanted.

Q. I think it was about 59 winners to about 19. You must be really happy with how you're striking the ball.

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, definitely. I've said it all week, this is the best I've felt ball striking wise. Even when I go out for practice, I'm just feeling like I can kind of do what I want, and I haven't had that feeling in a while. Back end of last year, probably didn't play enough, to be honest, wasn't focused enough, but I wasn't happy with my ball striking, how I was playing, so to find that level so early on in the year, I'm really happy with how it is.

Yeah, 59 winners, I'm stoked with that. That's how I've got to play to beat these guys. I'm not going to sit 10 meters behind the baseline and run side to side. I want to do it if I have to, but for me to play my best and be dangerous and beat good players, I have to be aggressive and dictate.

Q. Bautista Agut next. Your thoughts going into that one, and would it make any difference that he hasn't played on centre this year?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: He did play on centre last week, yeah, against Rublev. He beat Rublev.

Q. This tournament.

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: No, I don't think that changes anything. The guy has pretty much played every tournament there is under the sun in his career. He's a hell of a player, been at the top of the game many, many years, and he gives nothing away. He's a brick wall from the back. Good forehand, works hard. Yeah, again, same thing; if I'm 10 meters behind the baseline and running side to side, it's not where I want to be. I've got to dictate. I've got to hopefully serve well, play good tennis and see what I can do.

Q. You've already spoken about it, but just loving being here in front of the home fans? You're getting another match.

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, always, always. Unfortunately it's always the week before a Grand Slam, so it gives me less time to get to Melbourne and prep, but again, I'm not taking it for granted playing at home with this crowd and that energy. Seeing how they come out and support me every night session, it really means a lot, and it gives you goosebumps kind of walking out there. I haven't felt this sort of love -- I feel it in Adelaide and Melbourne, but it's hard to replicate that around the world, so to have this support and the atmosphere is crazy.

Yeah, I'll take wins where I can get them. I know my ranking might have taken a little dip, but I feel like my game is where it needs to be, so having that energy and support, I'll take wins where I can get them.

Q. You've spoken about concentrating on this tournament, but have you learnt lessons from last year in terms of how it is as a preparation for the Aus Open?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, not ideal, especially when I had to play Monday. That was tough. That was tough. I'm praying I get a Tuesday start, whatever happens in Melbourne.

But as I said, I'm focused on this week. I'm not taking it for granted. It's not too many times in my career I've been in semifinals, so it's happened a few times, but it's not something that happens every week, so I'm going to keep riding the wave and see what happens. I'm going to focus on this week first and worry about Aussie later, but yeah, I wish it probably came a week earlier, to be honest.

Q. Have you checked out the draw?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah. You can't miss it on social media unless I'm living under a rock. It's pretty hard not to.

Q. What are your thoughts on playing the crazy man of tennis?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: There's a few of them. Foggers is definitely one of them. No, hell of a player. Been at the top of the game, as well. I've played him a couple times on tour and have a good record against him, but I know what his top level is capable of. He's a vet. His ball striking is very good, especially when he's locked in, so it's not going to be easy.

It's weird mentally knowing you have another player you're thinking about next week but you're already in a tournament this week and you've got to worry about Bautista Agut tomorrow. It's not easy, but yeah, Aussie Open is nails. It's tough to win a Grand Slam. I have just got to focus on this week and I'll worry about Fognini next time.