'He is a legit contender' - Nick Kyrgios backed to make a 'big run' at Wimbledon by Thanasi Kokkinakis
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ByEurosport
Updated 25/06/2022 at 10:44 GMT
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios stunned the tennis world in January when they won the Australian Open doubles title. Kokkinakis has backed Kyrgios to be a genuine contender at Wimbledon in the men's singles draw which gets underway on June 27. Kyrgios has been drawn against Brit Paul Jubb in the first round, while Kokkinakis starts his singles campaign against Poland's Kamil Majchrzak.
Highlights: Kyrgios needs three sets to beat Djere at Mallorca Open
Thanasi Kokkinakis believes his doubles partner Nick Kyrgios has a real chance of winning Wimbledon this summer.
Kyrgios has been in good form heading into the Grand Slam, winning seven out of his nine matches on grass this year with semi-final runs at Stuttgart and Halle before he was forced to withdraw in Mallorca earlier this week due to a minor abdominal strain.
Should No. 45 seed Kyrgios beat Brit Paul Jubb in the first round, he could face Croatian 26th seed Filip Krajinovic in the second and then Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third. The 27-year-old could not meet Rafael Nadal until the semi-finals or defending champion Novak Djokovic until the final.
Djokovic is the heavy favourite to win at SW19 for a fourth time in a row, but Kokkinakis believes Kyrgios can go far this year.
“He’s a legit contender,” Kokkinakis said.
“He looks great. He looks like he’s locked in. I had a look at his draw and I really like it for him. Obviously, Slams are tough but with his game and how comfortable he is on grass and how many matches he’s played, I think he can definitely make a big run here. I’m pretty confident in that.
“There are a lot of good players out there, especially it being over five sets. There’s a lot of things that can happen over five sets.
“It’s tough to put people away in straight sets and the hardest thing is backing up matches after matches.
“But the key thing for him is if he can get it done fairly comfortably, especially in his earlier rounds, I think that sets him up really well.”
Kyrgios said last month that he is the best grass player in the world. Compatriot John Millman has challenged him to walk the walk.
“He’s said he’s the best player on grass in the world, so the best outcome would be for him to win it ... yeah, just quoting him,” Millman said on Friday.
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Watch daily highlights from Wimbledon at 10pm on Eurosport 2 and discovery+ from June 27, as well as the two singles finals live on July 9 and 10.
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