They’ll be giving it their finest, there will be no tanking and so they’ll have fun – however simply do not anticipate Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios to ship a reprise of their dazzling Australian Open doubles triumph.
That was the message, delivered with an enormous chuckle, by Kokkinakis as he regarded ahead to a different Melbourne Park journey which he hopes will characteristic a singles bid that does not finish early like final yr amid a “crazy zoo” environment.
Kokkinakis’s disappointment at being outlasted 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-3 by the “rock-like” Roberto Bautista Agut in Friday’s semi-final of his house Adelaide International was tinged with some satisfaction that his sport is in respectable order.
But requested for his ideas on a potential profitable defence of his doubles crown with Kyrgios, he laughed: “No, I don’t think we will, to be honest.
“We’ll play, but when I advised you I feel we will defend the title, I’d be mendacity.
The pair will likely be out for extra enjoyable, although, with the ‘Special Ks’ double act that wowed the Melbourne crowds final yr nonetheless set to be a spotlight.
“That’s why we play. We only thought about winning it last year, to be honest, pretty much in the quarters onwards when we were both out of singles,” stated Kokkinakis.
“We’re going to try and do as well as we can in singles; doubles is a bonus. Hopefully, our bodies hold up.
“We’re not going to tank. If we get on the market, we will play and try to do in addition to we are able to, however, yeah, I’m not chalking in a back-to-back simply but!”
Singles, Kokkinakis reckoned, was now his absolute priority, even if he wouldn’t be heading for Melbourne with the same sort of buzz as last year after he’d won his maiden ATP title in his hometown.
Still, he may be better placed this time as his earlier exit and a Tuesday start in Melbourne – “Thank f*** I’m not on Monday!” he laughed – will give him more time to prepare properly for the slower courts and an attractive-looking duel with the cavalier Italian veteran Fabio Fognini.
“Yeah, it should be enjoyable, going to be a loopy environment. Last yr on the intimate courtroom three (shedding in straight units to Yannick Hanfmann) it was one thing I can not even describe; that was the largest zoo I’ve ever felt.
“Hopefully it’s a little more toned down. I don’t know if it will be. I’ll try and play on a different court, maybe a little bit bigger one where it feels like I don’t have a fan up my ass pretty much for the whole match.”
