{"id":1140,"date":"2017-01-11T22:51:26","date_gmt":"2017-01-12T03:51:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordontennis.com\/?p=1140"},"modified":"2021-12-23T20:30:17","modified_gmt":"2021-12-24T01:30:17","slug":"kokkinakis-return-australian-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2017\/01\/11\/kokkinakis-return-australian-open\/","title":{"rendered":"Kokkinakis Hopefully Set to Make ATP Return After 15-Month Absence"},"content":{"rendered":"

Young gun to compete in Australian Open singles draw after complicated recovery<\/h2>\n

While the main storyline of the upcoming Australian Open is the return of Roger Federer to an official tournament after a seven month hiatus, the Swiss maestro is not the only player seeking to make a triumphant comeback.<\/p>\n

Enter Thanasi Kokkinakis, the Adelaide native with Greek roots. Unless the injury bug bites him \u00a0again,<\/span> The 20-year-old will be aiming to collect his first ATP singles points since October 2015<\/a> at Melbourne Park.<\/p>\n

Even if his raw numbers<\/a> (11 main draw wins in 19 tour level events) may suggest otherwise, the Aussie had a sensational campaign in 2015. He boasted an outstanding 14-2 record in qualifying draws and cruised to victory in the lone Challenger he played, in Bordeaux (France). In other words, Kokkinakis proved he belonged in tennis\u2019 first tier as an 18-year-old. That is no small feat nowadays.<\/p>\n

Toward the end of the season, his results started to slip. After cramps sabotaged a superb effort against a red-hot Richard Gasquet in Flushing Meadows, the youngster hit a rookie wall. The mental burnout was evident. Arguably his most exciting moment post-US Open was the interview he gave to the Stockholm Open media.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to the 3:20 minute mark for the highlight.<\/em>
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