It has been a brilliant day for the Aussies at the Adelaide International 1 on Friday with Ash Barty and Thanasi Kokkinakis both making it through to the semi-finals.
Tournament wildcard, Kokkinakis has continued his dream run after he defeated Sweden’s Mikael Ymer in an incredible match.
In front of a parochial crowd, Kokkinakis was victorious, 7-6 (9), 4-6, 6-4.
It topped off a fantastic day for the hometown hero who received a wildcard into the 2022 Australian Open.
The first set was an arm wrestle with no break point opportunities on offer for either player - resulting in a tiebreaker.
With some incredible rallies which kept the big crowd entertained, Kokkinakis eventually saving three set points to win the tie break 11-9.
Kokkinakis served 7 aces in the first set and had an 82 percent success rate on first serve points won.
Ymer finally broke Kokkinakis’ serve to lead 1-0 early in the second and then held serve to lead 2-0.
Kokkinakis had a break point opportunity in the sixth game, however, was not able to take the opportunity and Ymer led 4-2.
There was controversy when a frustrated Kokkinakis disputed an over-rule with the umpire in the seventh game at 30-15 which went against him and took it to 30-30.
The South Aussie maintained his composure though and got it back to 4-3.
Ymer had a set point in the ninth game, however Kokkinakis managed to save the set point and it was 5-4.
Ymer then held his nerve when serving for the second set and despite the crowd’s best efforts of getting Kokkinakis over the line, he took the set 6-4.
The roof nearly fell off the stadium in the second game of the decider when Kokkinakis finally broke Ymer’s serve to lead 2-0.
Kokkinakis held serve and with all the momentum he led 3-0.
Ymer then broke back in the fifth game to make it 3-2 and when he won his serve it was 3-3 in the blink of an eye.
Kokkinakis kept fighting and eventually got another opportunity at 5-4, where a match point presented itself. The crowd erupted as the Aussie took his chance and closed out a remarkable battle.
A tough challenge awaits Kokkinakis next as he takes on in-form No.1 seed Gael Monfils on Saturday evening in the semi-finals.
World number one and crowd favourite Ash Barty put on a brilliant performance in a straight sets demolition of No.6 seeded American and 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.
Barty won 6-3, 6-4 in 67 minutes to set up a mouth-watering semi-final clash with last year’s Adelaide International winner Iga Swiatek from Poland.
Barty served a career best 17 aces to go along with a 94 per cent win percentage on her first serve.
Not surprisingly, Barty spoke glowingly after the match about her remarkable serving masterclass and how she is starting to find her form in the lead up to the Australian Open.
"I felt pretty good today,” Barty said.
“I was able to look after my service games pretty well and it was a lot of fun playing out here and getting more court time.”
"It's nice to come out here and be tested from the start and know that you need to bring your very best level.”
Games started on serve in the first set until Barty got a break in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead.
Kenin did not have an answer for the power of Barty from the baseline and through her serve with Barty smacking 7 aces in the first set going on to take it 6-3.
Kenin who produced a remarkable comeback on Thursday evening against Ajla Tomljanovic made 16 unforced errors in the first set and looked tired from her marathon three-set epic.
Barty broke Kenin’s serve in the first game of the second set and held serve to lead 2-0.
Kenin managed to avoid losing her serve again in the second set, however she was unable to break Barty’s serve and the Aussie went on to win the second set 6-4, and with that the match.
Defebring champion Iga Swiatek made it eight wins in a row at the Adelaide International when she proved too good for Victoria Azarenka to win in three sets 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.
It was 3-3 in the first set when Swiatek flexed her muscles and strung three games in a row to take it 6-3.
Azarenka dominated the second set winning it 6-2 as the former world number showed her class and took it to a decider.
Swiatek got the game back on her terms in the last and went on to win it comfortably 6-1.
Veteran Croatian No.3 seed Marin Cilic will take on No.2 seed Karen Khachanov from Russia in the semi-finals in what promises to be a fantastic contest.
Cilic and Khachanov both won in straight sets.
Cilic defeated Serbian No.7 seed Laslo Djere and Khachanov worked hard to fight off a gritty opponent in his win over Belarusian qualifier Egor Gerasimov.
Cilic was clinical in his 6-3, 6-2 demolition of Djere with 21 compared to his opponents 7 for receiving points won and 86% compared to Djere’s 54% for percentage on first serves won.
Khachanov defeated Gerasimov 7-5, 6-3.
No.1 seed, Gael Monfils has stormed through to the semi-finals after defeating American No.6 seed Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-1.
Paul was on a seven-match winning streak; however, he was not able to match Monfils’ power and consistency.
Monfils won in just 68 minutes, less than 24 hours after a comprehensive victory over Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo where he only lost three games.
Kazakhstan No.7 seed Elena Rybakina has progressed through to the semi-finals on the women’s side after she came from a set down to defeat American Shelby Rogers in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a match that lasted an even two hours.
Rybakina will now take on Japan’s Misaki Doi who also came from a set down against Slovenian Kaja Juvan 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) in a match that went close to three hours.
In doubles action, the all-Aussie pair of Storm Sanders and Ash Barty are through to the final against Jurak/Klepac-Schreiber.
Sanders and Barty won an entertaining match against Nadiia Kichenok (Ukraine) and Sania Mirza (India) 6-1, 2-6, 10-8.
In the men’s doubles, Aussie pair of Edward Winter and Aleksandar Vukic lost in straight sets 2-6, 3-6 to No.4 seed Santiago Gonzalez (Mexico) and Tomislav Brkic (Bosnia) in their quarter-final clash.
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