Aussie tennis star Thanasi Kokkinakis left fans stunned on Tuesday night after revealing he had a run-in with ‘junkies’ at Crown Casino in Melbourne.
Speaking courtside following his gripping five-set victory against Austrian Sebastian Ofner in front of a raucous crowd on John Cain Arena, the 27-year-old admitted the scars still remain from his defeat against Andy Murray 12 months ago at Melbourne Park.
Kokkinakis was sent packing in a 2023 epic which lasted five hours and 45 minutes – the second-longest match in Australian Open history, which finished around 4am.
To rub salt into the wound, the Adelaide-born star was then chipped about his defeat at the nearby gambling mecca by a couple he identified as drug addicts.
‘Obviously last year that one hurt. I [then] had a couple of junkies come up to me at Crown Casino ripping me for that loss against [Andy] Murray,’ he told commentator Adam Peacock on Channel Nine.
Aussie tennis star Thanasi Kokkinakis left fans stunned on Tuesday after revealing a run in with ‘junkies’ at Crown Casino in Melbourne
It followed Kokkinakis losing a five-set epic to Andy Murray last year – on Tuesday, the 27-year-old (pictured) beat Austria’s Sebastian Ofner to move through to the second round
‘Didn’t enjoy that too much, but glad I could make amends and win a five-setter here today.’
Kokkinakis – currently ranked 80 in the world – will attempt to reach the third round in his home Grand Slam for the first time in his career when he faces No.13 seed Grigor Dimitrov on Thursday.
The big serving Bulgarian will be brimming with confidence after winning the recent Brisbane International.
Dimitrov, 32, has also reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open across his impressive career.
‘Grigor is a hell of a player, been doing this for a while now and he is in some great form right now,’ Kokkinakis said.
‘But yeah, I back myself…I’ve beaten high-ranked players before, I’ve lost to lower-ranked players. It’s a number.
‘It’s about coming out on the day and playing my best tennis – hopefully I can do that.’
MelbourneAdelaideAndy MurrayAustralian Open
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