Thanasi Kokkinakis uncertain of Particular Ks doubles title defence, Nick Kyrgios
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Thanasi Kokkinakis is uncertain he and doubles accomplice Nick Kyrgios can win back-to-back Australian Open titles following their outstanding run ultimately 12 months’s slam.
The pair, affectionately dubbed the Particular Ks, will crew up once more for this 12 months’s Open after happening a giant-killing streak in 2022 that culminated with them defeating fellow Aussies Matt Ebden and Max Purcell within the remaining.
Kokkinakis and Kyrgios enter the most important because the No.7 seeds after claiming the Atlanta Open doubles title in July.
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Requested if he thought he and Kyrgios may defend their AO title, Kokkinakis was skeptical.
“No, I do not,” he mentioned with amusing.
“Final 12 months was one thing we did not anticipate.
“I keep in mind individuals messaged me after each match we gained being like, ‘You are going to win this factor’.
“I am like, ‘No, somebody’s going to beat us. We’ll lose to a doubles crew, for certain’.
“It grew to become a risk from the quarter-finals. I legit thought, ‘We will be higher than these guys. We are able to win’.
Particular Ks’ celebration fail after profitable semi
“If I used to be to say I am anticipating to again it up, I would be mendacity.”
Regardless of his disbelieving outlook, Kokkinakis mentioned the duo would do every part inside their means to repeat final 12 months’s heroics, even whereas funneling their efforts into their respective singles campaigns.
“We’ll go on the market and provides 100 per cent,” he mentioned.
”Hopefully we’re each wholesome going into it.”
Kokkinakis and Kyrgios will play Colombia’s Nicolas Barrientos and Uruguay’s Ariel Behar within the first spherical.
After a fiery encounter with Croatian pairing Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic ultimately 12 months’s occasion, the Particular Ks won’t face them until each progress to the ultimate.
The pair are amongst 17 Australians who will contest the boys’s doubles competitors.
13 Australian ladies will make up the ladies’s doubles draw, together with Storm Hunter and the retiring Sam Stosur.
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