Adelaide, Jan 9 – Hometown hope Thanasi Kokkinakis has been eliminated from the Adelaide International in the first round after the Serb Dusan Lajovic triumphed 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in two hours and 10 minutes.
Kokkinakis, the 2022 men’s singles champion at the Australian Open warm-up event, was beaten 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 by Serbian world number 52 Dusan Lajovic on center court at the Memorial Drive Tennis Club on the first night of the Adelaide International on Monday, reports Xinhua.
The South Australian was dominant on serve in the opening set but became error-riddled as the match went on and was punished by Lajovic.
“I know Thanasis is a crowd favorite here and thank you for supporting both sides,” Lajovic said on court after the two hours and 11 minutes match.
It means that Kokkinakis will enter the Australian Open, which begins on Sunday, without a win since October.
Earlier on Monday, 2021 Roland-Garros champion and world number 10 Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic was stunned by Russian qualifier Anna Kalinskaya.
Kalinskaya, the world number 75, converted her third match point opportunity on Krejcikova’s serve to secure the 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 victory.
Another Russian player Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who was beaten by Krejcikova in the 2021 Roland Garros final, cruised through to the second round with a 6-3, 6-4 win over tournament fifth seed Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil.
Tuesday’s play at Memorial Drive is headlined by Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata, who made the fourth round at the 2023 US Open, facing world number 21 Daniel Evans of Britain on center court.
Their match will be preceded by Czech third seed Marketa Vondrousova’s game against qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich from Belarus.
In the first match of the day, sixth seed Jelena Ostapenko from Latvia will face Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in a clash of two top-30 players.
bc/
