Thomas Kokkinakis has arguably produced the best performance of his career to cause a major upset at the US Open, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round, while Alex de Minaur fought back from the rust to also advance. Kokkinakis had the daunting task of facing the No. 11 seed in the first round of the US Open, which was another tough match for the Australian.
And the underdog delivered arguably his best Grand Slam match ever, beating Tsitsipas in a brutal four-set clash that lasted nearly four hours. Kokkinakis was absolutely thrilled to have reached the second round and pocketed $206,000 for his efforts.
And the 28-year-old admitted that his hard work is slowly paying off after losing so many tough Grand Slam tournaments in recent years. “A huge relief,” said Kokkinakis after the victory in Flushing Meadows.
“Super happy, super excited. It’s well documented that I’ve had some close matches, but now I’m starting to finish on the winning side.” The big news for Kokkinakis is that the Australian advances on a completely open side of the draw. Kokkinakis’ opponent in the next round is unseeded Nuno Borges.
And Kokkinakis could then face fellow Australian Tristan Schoolkate after his own surprise win. Schoolkate defeated Taro Daniel and is just one match away from moving into an all-Australian third-round clash. Kokkinakis’ first-round win also marks the first time he has opened the tournament at all four Grand Slams in one year.
The Australian had the support of the crowd in the extreme heat of New York and will take the momentum into the second round. And luckily for Australia, hours later, de Minaur also managed to shake off some rust and defeat American Marcos Giron.
When the draw was announced, this was the most obvious potential upset in Round 1. Thanasi Kokkinakis is always dangerous in Grand Slam tournaments and today was no different. It was definitely a tough draw for No. 11 Stefanos Tsitsipas. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/SWNqryZ4zf
– Jacob Cersosimo (@JacobCersosimo) 27 August 2024
For the first time in his career, Kokkinakis has won his opening round match at all four Grand Slam tournaments in one season.
(It is also only the third time he has participated in all four Grand Slam main draws in one year) https://t.co/WUmGsQxwfr
— Matt Trollope (@MattyAT) 27 August 2024
Due to his injury history, we unfortunately haven’t seen Thanasi Kokkinakis play to his full potential as often as we should have. But a result like this shows how good he can be. https://t.co/wMBR3uVCni
— Michael Shillito (@tealfooty) 27 August 2024
Alex de Minaur returns after hip injury
De Minaur skipped the singles event at the Paris Olympics after injuring his hip before his duel with Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon. The Australian played doubles in Paris but decided to rest from the singles competition to prepare for the US Open.
And de Minaur had a difficult opponent in the form of local hero Giron. Fortunately, de Minaur was able to overcome his rust and a setback in the third set and move into the second round. He will now face Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen.
De Minaur could face Dan Evans in the third round before the draw becomes more difficult. Maya Joint one day earlierSchoolkate won his opening game and is expected to win at least $206,000, the biggest prize of his career.
The 23-year-old was overwhelmed by his victory over Daniel after he had come back from a two-set deficit to advance. “It’s fantastic. I’m obviously very happy to have survived this match,” said the world number 193.
“Especially when you’re two sets down, it feels like a long way back. But I thought if I just keep going and stay in the match, there’s no time limit in tennis. As long as you’re still playing, you still have a chance.”
