Thanasi Kokkinakis battled past beat Marin Cilic 6-2 3-6 7-6 (12-10) to reach the final at the Adelaide International 2. Kokkinakis will take on Arthur Rinderknech, who beat Corentin Moutet 6-1 6-3.
Kokkinakis earned two breaks in the first and seventh games to win the first set 6-2. Cilic converted his third break point in the eighth game to close out the second set 6-3. Cilic started the third set with an early break in the first game to take a 1-0 lead. Kokkinakis converted his fourth break-back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2.
Kokkinakis let slip a 6-2 lead in the tie-break of the third set, but he hit a backhand up the line at 6-7 and hit an ace at 7-8 to save two match points before converting his seventh match point to take a hard-fought win in 2 hours and 39 minutes.
“I played a great tie-break up until 6-2 and tightened up like nothing else. He got a match point and I was like: ‘I don’t know, I can either go into my shell or I can die wondering’. I just tried to tee off on a backhand line, pulled it off, hit some good serves and I don’t know. I was just playing on adrenaline. You guys got me through, honestly”, said Kokkinakis.
Kokkinakis will face Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, who dropped just three points on his first serve to beat his countryman Corentn Moutet 6-1 6-3 in 1 hour and 16 minutes with two breaks of serve en route to reaching the final.
“It was a tough match inside our heads. I am sure everybody knows what a home country duel match is about. There was a little bit of tension but I am happy to get the win with a pretty short time on court. It’s a great achievement. I am really happy to be in the final. It’s a new step again. I am really to be in the final. It’s a new step again. I made the semifinals in Kitzbuehel. Now the final here for the first tournament of the year”, said Rinderknech.
