Thanasi Kokkinakis muses thoughtfully over {the catalogue} of distress that is being relayed to him about his near-misses in 2023.
Like the time he held set level in each stanzas of his Madrid Open conflict in opposition to Jaume Munar – and acquired crushed.
And the day he had 5 match factors in opposition to Hubert Hurkacz on the Miami Open – and acquired crushed.
Then, there was that close to six-hour epic when he led Andy Murray by two units – and … effectively, you recognize the remaining.
Wasn’t that the morning – 4.28am to be actual – when, defeated by a bloke with a metallic hip, he was lowered to tweeting forlornly: “This f***ing sport man.”?
“Oh great, yeah, thanks for reminding me,” Kokkinakis tells AAP with good-natured endurance.
“I went through all the emotions then had a night without sleep. So, yeah, a good day for me, loved it!”
But the great news is that Kokkinakis, a try-try-and-try-again soldier of Aussie tennis, has a notion to get Lady Luck onside in what he plans to be the toughest, most in depth and most fruitful season of a profession that also guarantees a lot.
Starting at this week’s French Open.
“I’ve tried to make a commitment at least for one year of my career to try to stay over here in Europe as long as possible and play as much as I can,” defined Kokkinakis.
“I definitely struggle with the aspect of playing week in week out without getting home (to Adelaide) very much – so that’s definitely the toughest part for me.
“But I’m attempting to play rather a lot, to have a few good outcomes, attempt to beat my career-high rating (of 69) and make the highest 50. That’s my aim for the tip of this yr.”
So, it’s a big campaign for the likeable, one-time boy wonder of Aussie tennis who’s been through the injury mill and is now reaching the prime years of his career still with ambition and heart intact.
“I need to attempt to put myself in place to make sure I’m in each principal draw for each slam, and never on the cusp. I need to get to the Olympics as a precedence. These are causes I’m placing within the exhausting yards.”
All those near-misses against Munar, Murray and Hurkacz? “A little bit of it is unhealthy luck, and a little bit of it is my fault – that is tennis,” he shrugs.
But the law of averages is simple, he thinks; the more he plays, the more chances he’ll get, and the more things will turn his way.
“I’ve by no means earlier than put collectively a full schedule ever in my profession, so I believe I’ve acquired alternative right here,” he says, pondering the prospect of playing 22 or more events in 2023 and spending five straight months away from Australia.
“I’m hoping it would pay dividends – I’d be fairly pissed off if it would not by the tip of the yr.
“Touch wood, I’m feeling pretty healthy here, I pulled out of competition this week to give myself the best preparation and it’s probably the most clay tournaments I’ve had before the French in a very long time. I’ve given myself the best chance.
“My finest consequence at a slam was on the French in 2015 (reaching the third spherical), so I positively assume I can play on these items.”
But not another Brit battle, surely? He gives a mock groan. “It’s not going to be simple, gonna be a dogfight for certain,” he says about tackling No.20 seed Dan Evans first up.
But a little bit of luck would turn out to be useful too…
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
