The Special Ks and the American with an unplayable forehand – Australian Open Diary
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Published 23/01/2022 at 22:36 GMT
Nick Kyrgios is creating headlines again, this time of the positive variety alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis, as he puts his singles disappointment behind him to go for men’s doubles glory. Elsewhere, Madison Keys is turning heads with her monster forehand and Gael Monfils is sneaking his way through the draw. Stream the 2022 Australian Open live and on demand on discovery+
'I've never heard Nadal, Federer or Djokovic mention money' - Wilander on Zverev
Beware of the Keys forehand
Madison Keys rediscovering her form this month Down Under means we get to watch the American blast unplayable forehands from all corners of the court and marvel at the power and speed of her right arm.
As one journalist noted on Twitter, Keys has the kind of forehand that draws gasps from the crowd when they see it live, in a way that is reminiscent of the effect Juan Martin del Potro’s forehand had on spectators.
Keys has unleashed 64 forehand winners through her opening four matches this tournament, including 14 struck against Spanish No. 8 seed Paula Badosa on Sunday en route to the quarter-finals.
“What can I say? Sometimes I was serving 180 (kmph). I had to look what the serve said because I didn't understand how a winner came back that fast. I thought I was serving bad. Then I saw it was her game, that she was playing very, very good,” said Badosa after her loss, trying to describe what it was like facing that lightning fast shot from Keys.
“Madison, she's like that. When she has confidence, she's very dangerous.”
Keys, who is now 10-1 for the season, having picked up a title in Adelaide in the build-up to the Australian Open, does not fully comprehend just how big of a ball she hits.
“Honestly, I'm not even sure if I still totally appreciate it. It feels fairly normal for me, just kind of like my average ball. I think that's part of the reason why I over-hit sometimes,” said the former US Open finalist.
“Growing up I didn't understand the concept of tennis, but my grandpa is a massive baseball fan, so I would try to hit home runs, which I think really makes my tennis game make a lot more sense,” she added with a smile. Baseball; that certainly explains a lot!
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Highlights: Keys produces stunning win over Badosa to reach quarters
‘Tennis should embrace personalities more’
Australian duo Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis – or the Special Ks as they’ve been nicknamed by fans and media – continue to put on a show for the Melbourne Park crowd as they marched into the men’s doubles quarter-finals on Sunday.
The pair, who won the Wimbledon junior doubles title together in 2013, are rolling back the years, bringing flair, entertainment, and a high level of tennis to the doubles court, and seem determined to go all the way this fortnight.
Their sense of humour has shone through so far this tournament and they gave the crowd a good laugh during their on-court interview on Sunday.
With wins over the top seeds and the No. 15 seeds in their last two rounds, the Aussie wildcards were told by the interview that “it’s not easy picking apart these established doubles teams”.
Kyrgios quickly responded with a laugh: “I mean, it’s been pretty easy.”
Kokkinakis spoke of their long-time friendship while addressing the fans at Kia Arena.
“I’ve known the big fella since he was a chubby kid from Canberra. He’s slim and looks good now but we’ve been through a lot together,” Kokkinakis said of Kyrgios.
During their press conference, Kyrgios highlighted the X-factor both he and Kokkinakis have brought to the doubles game and says tennis should do a better job at accepting bold personalities.
“We are bringing the game to new levels,” Kyrgios chuckled. “Not just on the doubles court. I saw the TV ratings up like 45%, mate, let's just get this clear.”
He added: “I just think that tennis has done a really poor job with accepting personalities in the past. I think they have kind of really only marketed three players for the last decade and now it's kind of caught up with them, so hence they have tried to push some of the Next Gen guys, which I think some of them are really exciting I really like the two young Canadians, I think can really do some special things in the sport.
“But tennis has really struggled to embrace different personalities, like when people go about it differently. Like something about Thanasi when I watch him play singles it glues me to the TV, whether he's losing or whether he's winning, it's just the way he goes about it.
“I think tennis needs to embrace that more.”
Under the radar
Gael Monfils has quietly put together a standout first week in Melbourne Park, reaching the quarter-finals without dropping a set and spending a mere total of seven hours and 39 minutes on court through four matches.
On his 17th appearance at the Australian Open and with a victory over Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic on Sunday, the 35-year-old Monfils is into the last eight in Melbourne for the second time in his career and first since 2016.
The 17th-seeded Frenchman, who improved his 2022 record to 8-1 win-loss, has now reached 10 Grand Slam quarter-finals overall.
He next takes on Italian No.7 seed Matteo Berrettini, who narrowly beat Monfils in a final-set tiebreak the last time the Frenchman featured in a major quarter-final, at the US Open in 2019.
With a title under his belt already this season, and a positive outlook for what’s to come, Monfils will not be an easy task for the big-serving Berrettini.
Monfils admittedly struggled mentally during the pandemic and says he began to feel better last season but was a bit “unlucky” at crucial moments he wished had gone his way. Asked what he has done to avoid being discouraged by his near-misses from 2021, the former world No. 6 said: “It's a mixture of everything. Sometimes you need to try more and you're not trying; you have the ball to hit, and you're not going for it. So you don't have the guts for it.
“Sometimes you go maybe too crazy because you really want to go and it’s too much, so that's the other side. And sometimes you just go in the right position, and you just miss.
“Sometimes is just a breaker in the fifth, and see you next time, and try to get back in the situation and to have the same opportunity and try the same with a bit more confidence and you make it. So that's a little bit battle that you have to face, every week as a tennis player.”
Alcott soaking up the moment
Playing his farewell tournament in Melbourne this week, Australian wheelchair tennis legend Dylan Alcott gave the crowd what they wanted as he overcame a tough opening round opponent in Niels Vink, to reach the quad singles semi-finals on Sunday.
“I was just not myself early on I think, I probably was trying to downplay it a bit, but I think I should lean in,” Alcott told a packed house at Kia Arena.
“Like lean in to how awesome this is; I’m never going to be here again, so rather than pretend like it’s just another match, it’s like one of the coolest things I’m ever going to do. You know what? I really don’t care if I win, I just want to celebrate how awesome this is for disabled sport, wheelchair tennis, Paralympians everywhere.
“I know I’m the lucky one and I started enjoying myself a lot more in the end. That’s going to be one of my rules moving forward, is just to enjoy the moment, because I’m never going to be back out here.
“We’ve done so much change together and I feel I’ve played a very small part in that. It’s everybody here, it’s everybody watching on TV, it’s everybody getting around it. So I’m glad I’m still alive and I can keep doing it.”
Alcott signed off by paying tribute to his family and friends, who were all in the stands supporting him on Sunday. “I hated myself growing up and the reason I don't, is them,” he stated.
History made in girls’ singles
It’s always fun when the second week comes around in tennis because we get to catch some juniors action and get a taste of what the future of the sport might look like.
On Sunday, two players made history for their respective countries as Meshkatolzahra Safi became the first girl from, and representing, Iran to win a Grand Slam juniors match, and Angella Okutoyi became the first girl from Kenya to achieve the same feat.
Safi is also the first hijabi player to compete at a major. The 17-year-old Iranian braved the Melbourne heat while wearing a headscarf, a long-sleeved shirt and leggings under her shorts, during her straight-sets victory over Aussie qualifier Anja Nayar.
“I love the sun, but not this much,” joked Safi after the match, referring to the brutal conditions. “But I’m used to this hijab and this covering. This is part of me now because I was playing with this since I was nine until today, in any tours, in any weather, cold or hot. I’m used to it. Of course I feel the heat, today was really, really difficult but it doesn’t bother me.”
Stats of the day
- With his straight-sets defeat to No.14 seed Denis Shapovalov on Sunday, world No.3 Alexander Zverev is now a shocking 4-15 win-loss against top-20 opponents at the Grand Slam level (he has never beaten a top-10 player at a major). The German is 68-52 against top-20 players outside the Slams.
- Madison Keys has struck 75 aces in the 11 matches she has contested so far this season.
- Ashleigh Barty’s streak of consecutive service holds came to an end at the hands of Amanda Anisimova. After going unbroken in 63 service games in a row, the Australian dropped serve early in the second set on Sunday. She still won the match though to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals for a fourth consecutive year.
- Barty and Keys lead the tournament with 24 aces struck by each through their four opening matches this fortnight.
- The 16-14 first-set tiebreak Rafael Nadal contested against Adrian Mannarino in the fourth round on Sunday lasted 28 minutes and is the longest breaker Nadal has ever played in his career.
- Berrettini is through to a fourth consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final. Talk about consistency!
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