- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Day 3 of the Australian Open may just be one of the most intriguing days in recent memory, with the future of Australian tennis about to take their show onto the big stage.
Monday was, from a purely parochial perspective, a day to remember.
Sam Groth overcame his abysmal record at this home slam, Bernard Tomic recovered from a slow start to defeat German journeyman Tobias Kamke, while Nick Kyrgios prevailed over Argentinean Federico Delbonis despite a bad back and a short temper.
And then there was Thanasi Kokkinakis, who defied expectation to claim the scalp of 11th seed and French Open semi-finalist Ernests Gulbis in a five-set thriller.
Insert the efforts of James Duckworth, Marinko Mastosevic and the tireless Lleyton Hewitt onto that list and a minimum seven Aussie men will compete in the second round of the Open; the most in over a decade.
While all six men deserve plaudits, the wins of Kyrgios, Kokkinakis and Tomic are worth looking at in the wider context of 2015. The three, while at times rusty and inconsistent, showed they’ve improved and matured.
Kyrgios came into his first-round match with the knowledge he is no longer an unknown quantity to opponents after last year’s Wimbledon tournament. Add to the above his lack of preparation and the fact his opponent was of a similar ranking and Kyrgios’ clash looked tricky.
It wasn’t a polished performance, but Kyrgios played at his best when needed and managed to scrape together a win in trying circumstances. He plays former top-20 material Ivo Karlovic today and he’ll need to be better to advance to the third round.
A powerful server, Karlovic also possesses strong ground strokes and he will not give Kyrgios the time or opportunity that Delbonis afforded the Australian.
On Hisense Arena, Bernard Tomic was at his frustrating best early on against Tobias Kamke, looking sluggish and listless across the first two sets. However, Tomic managed to break free in the third set as he eventually wore down the German with his temperamental forehand and mental aptitude picking up as the match progressed.
Tomic for his part looks fitter than previous years and he finally looks at peace with tennis itself as the weight of a nation no longer rests exclusively on his shoulders.
Furthermore, the arrival of the ‘Special Ks’, has pricked his competitive spirit, with the 22-year-old determined to not become an afterthought of the Australian public.
Next for Tomic is 22nd seed Philipp Kohlschreiber and, much like Kyrgios, his game will need to move up a gear if he is going to be competitive against the dangerous German.
While Tomic and Kyrgios felt their way into the tournament, Adelaide-born Thanasi Kokkinakis propelled himself into the second round with a performance the belies his experience.
Make no mistake; this was a difficult match against a man who played at the semi-finals in last year’s French Open. Yet for the gulf in age, experience and rankings, Kokkinakis rarely looked out of his depth.
His fitness and game style are of a maturity beyond his years and despite his age and experience, he possesses a strong belief in his ability to compete with the men.
Kokkinakis now has to face compatriot Sam Groth in the second round, a match in which choosing who to support is like picking a favourite child. Groth will go in as favourite based on his big serve and strong ground strokes but I wouldn’t rule out Kokkinakis stealing the victory off his Davis Cup teammate if he can play with the same intensity he showed in the first round.
Make no mistake, these kids are still raw and to expect deep runs at Grand Slam tournaments this year would be foolhardy.
But one game into the Australian Open, Kyrgios, Kokkinakis and Tomic have shown that provided they work hard and stay injury free, a new golden era of Australian tennis may be on the horizon.
Whether it’s aces or races, try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp for great odds and a great punting experience. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.