Injuries take down Special Ks Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios to shatter Australian Open dreams
Thanasi Kokkinakis’ dream of repeating his stunning Australian Open doubles success with Nick Kyrgios has been dashed by his debilitating pectoral muscle injury.
Kyrgios, too, battled through an abdominal complaint before the pair pulled the pin midway through their first-round encounter with fellow local hopes James Duckworth and Aleksandar Vukic.
The “Special Ks’‘ - the 2022 doubles champions at Melbourne Park - trailed 7-5 3-2 at a packed John Cain Arena on Thursday night when they retired.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.An apologetic Kokkinakis was emotional as he and Kyrgios called an end to the match.
The pair had committed to playing doubles despite their fitness issues, after both crashed out of the singles tournament.
They were clearly hampered, both serving well below full-strength throughout the match.
Vukic will enjoy the early bedtime ahead of his third-round singles meeting with 15th seed Jack Draper on Friday.
Duckworth and Vukic will meet another Australian pair, wildcards Luke Saville and Li Tu, in the second round of the doubles.
Originally published on AAP
