Kokkinakis advances at Bordeaux Challenger after marathon start

Thanasi Kokkinakis is up and running at the ATP Challenger Tour 175 event in Bordeaux, France, where on Tuesday the Australian earned a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 victory against countryman Rinky Hijikata.

In the opening set, the 28-year-old Kokkinakis was broken in a thrilling first service game, which lasted 16 minutes and went to deuce eight times. Just three games were completed after 32 minutes, but it was Kokkinakis’ strong serving that helped him pull away from the eighth seed at the BNP Paribas Primrose.

Kokkinakis won 80 per cent of his first-serve points and saved 11 of 13 break points faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats, to advance after two hours, 28 minutes. He will next meet Aleksandar Kovacevic or Matteo Martineau.

Silencing the haters 🤫 #ATPChallenger | @TKokkinakis pic.twitter.com/Bc36hmEXmb

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) May 14, 2024

The No. 94 player in the PIF ATP Rankings was the lone main-draw winner of the day in Bordeaux after rain cancelled several matches, including fifth seed Daniel Evans' opener against wild card Hugo Grenier.

Andy Murray will return to action for the first time since Miami on Wednesday, when he meets French qualifier Kyrian Jacquet. Stan Wawrinka, Shang Juncheng and Evans are also scheduled to play.

Turin Challenger
Argentine Federico Coria defeated Jurij Rodionov 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 at the Piemonte Open Intesa Sanpaolo in Turin, where rain also cancelled much of Tuesday’s play.

Coria, who reached the quarter-finals at this month's Cagliari Challenger, converted six of his 18 break chances to set a second-round meeting against fourth seed Lorenzo Sonego.

Home favourites Fabio Fognini, Luciano Darderi, Luca Nardi and Francesco Passaro will compete Wednesday at the Italian clay-court tournament.

^{Federico Coria in action at the Turin Challenger. Credit: Mike Lawrence/ATP Tour}