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Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis has reached the second round of the French Open for the first time since 2015, and he’s not the only Australian to book their place in the second round on the opening day of the clay-court grand slam.
In 2015, Kokkinakis received a wildcard and fought his way into the third round after wins over qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili and his fellow Australian in 27th-seeded Bernard Tomic.
Kokkinakis subsequently lost in the third round to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.
This year, Kokkinakis is again competing as a wildcard entry, currently sitting 111th in the world.
But he toppled 20th-seed Brit Dan Evans with a sensational straight-sets victory, winning 6-4 6-4 6-4.
Kokkinakis started well and finally earned the break with a delightful lob to lead 4-3 in the first set, and held on to serve for the set.
Evans then took a bathroom break between sets and came back like a man possessed, breaking to love in the second game to lead 2-0 in the second. But the Brit fell apart in a furious moment after Kokkinakis broke back. Evans copped a foot-fault at 30-15, and after he was broken he unleashed on his racquet and then the umpire in a furious spray.
Kokkinakis staved off a trio of break points to hold on and make it 4-4 in the second, before breaking the following game and then serving out the set to love – having won five games in a row.
In the third set, the Aussie sealed a break to lead 3-2 on the third break point.
Kokkinakis was under pressure throughout, and double-faulted on break point to make it 4-4 in the third. But he broke back in brilliant fashion, smacking a return down the line from deep out of court to break back at 5-4, before serving out the match.
He will next face either a three-time Grand Slam champion in Stan Wawrinka or clay-court specialist Albert Ramos Vinolas.
Meanwhile, 28-year-old Aussie Storm Sanders claimed a sensational comeback win over Spain’s Nuria Parrizas-Diaz.
Sanders, who fought through qualifying to make the main draw, lost the first set 4-6, but recovered to win the next two 6-2 6-4.
The match was a festival of break points, with Sanders sealing 6 of 15 and Parrizas-Diaz four of 11.
It caps a remarkable run for the Aussie doubles specialist, who won the mixed doubles title at the 2022 US Open and last week won the women’s double in Rome.
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