Thanasi Kokkinakis did really well to escape disaster against Daniel Elahi Galan in Cincinnati Masters, qualifying for the main draw.
Like in Toronto, Kokkinakis had to earn his place in the Cincinnati Masters main draw. He played two qualifiers, and after beating Laslo Djere in R1, he defeated Daniel Galan in R2. It was a very tough match for the Australian, but he managed to find his best level when he needed it the most.
The Australian is working really hard on earning enough points to avoid having to play these kinds of things regularly, and every win helps. His tennis has been looking pretty decent lately, as his style fits well on North American hard courts.
The first set was very close for much of it, but towards the end, Galan found a chance and used it to escape with it 7-5. The Australian risked quite a bit in his play, and it backfired in the crucial rallies as he needed to be a bit sharper.
He did much better in the next set, navigating a very tense tiebreak which he won 9-7 in the end. Galan was, for the most part, more precise in putting together some neat stat line, but Kokkinakis was by far the player who 'went for it' in the big moments.
It didn't work in the opening set but paid off in the tiebreak. The good momentum carried over in the next set as he jumped out to an early 3-0 lead. The added pressure had an effect on his opponent as he started to miss more while Kokkinakis remained composed.
The final score was 5-7 7-6(7) 6-2 for the Australian who will try to do what he did in Toronto - win a couple of matches in the main draw. It would boost his standing ahead of the US Open which is inching closer with every day.
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