Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis won two qualifying matches to earn a spot in the Miami Masters main draw and now hopes to have a positive campaign and gain some confidence and points.
Kokkinakis, who pushed Stefanos Tsitsipas to five sets at the Australian Open, edged Mario Vilella Martínez 7-5 6-1 in Miami’s final qualifying round on Tuesday. “Yes, it is a little different [a enfrentar a Tsitsipas en el Abierto de Australia]but for me the goal remains the same, “Kokkinakis told the ATP website.
“I have not played in so long, so any game is a good opportunity to go out and show that I belong to regain my classification and regain some confidence.”
Kokkinakis wouldn’t mind a big check
At the Australian Open, Kokkinakis competed in $ 6 Kmart jerseys.
“It’s definitely difficult, especially when you haven’t had the last two years making money,” Kokkinakis said. “It’s even more complicated maybe for me and then for my first year on tour when everything cuts out dramatically and it’s a bit more complicated.
I’m trying to look at it in a way where all I do now is prepare for next year, get those games. We hope that next year things will return to normal, the prize money will be back and it will be a good opportunity to earn a living.
I’ve been lucky to have this opportunity to start playing again, so I’m just trying to compete and stay healthy again. ” In 2018, Kokkinakis stunned former world No. 1 Roger Federer at the Miami Masters.
“There was an old man here who works at the tournament and he has a strong European accent and he keeps yelling ‘Kokkinakis’,” he said. “I was trying to tell myself that a lot of the fans [cuando enfrenté a Federer] they hated him because he was one of the few who cheered me on.
I appreciate it. Returning to Miami are always good memories. It is a slightly different place, obviously. It’s a little different without the atmosphere and the crowd, but you have to make the most of it. ”
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