Thanasi Kokkinakis is in the main draw of the Canadian Open after winning his second qualifying match against Constant Lestienne.
The Australian needed three sets in the opening round of the qualifiers, but he proved much more sturdy this time around. He only needed two sets to win though it wasn't a simple match for Kokkinakis. He's made a habit of struggling through matches but has been playing pretty well recently.
Lestienne was up on Kokkinakis early in this match, taking a 3-1 lead, but the Australian managed to pull it back. The serve and forehand of the Australian worked well in these conditions, and they worked even better as the match went on.
Kokkinakis even jumped ahead in the opening set but got broken which meant that the set only finished in the tiebreak. It's how Kokkinakis made a lot of his money, and he proved better edging out his opponent barely 8-6.
The opening set win was crucial because things got much simpler for Kokkinakis after that. He had the set in hand and now the added confidence which worked in his favour as he kept playing high-powering tennis. He jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the second set and that was pretty much it.
From there the Australian cruised to the finish line without any problems. He controlled the match with his baseline play posting 30 winners to only 10 unforced errors. He had 11 aces as well which helped greatly. The final score was 7-6(6) 6-3 and the spot in the main draw.
It's a major thing for Kokkinakis, who is hoping to establish a consistent rhythm on the ATP Tour after struggling with injuries for years. The Australian also needs wins after a lacklustre clay and grass season. These wins here were a great start towards that. Now it's about backing it up in the main draw.
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