Grigor Dimitrov will take on one of Australia’s home hopes, Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round of the 2024 Australian Open at the John Cain Arena on Thursday midnight EST. This clash could turn out to be a thrilling undercard match.
Kokkinakis and Dimitrov have never faced each other previously. The latter advanced to the second round after defeating Marton Fucsovics in four sets. After an unexpected delay seemingly flustered him, he lost the first set but soon found his groove to wrap the tie. Kokkinakis, meanwhile, played out a five-setter against Sebastian Ofner. He came back to win after having lost the second and third sets.
The duo started their season with the 2024 Brisbane International. However, they met with very contrasting fortunes. Kokkinakis was ousted in the opening round by compatriot Rinky Hijikata. Whereas Dimitrov went on to lift the trophy, his first ATP title in over six years. The Bulgarian also reached the men’s doubles quarterfinals with Sebastian Korda.
Kokkinakis faced another first-round exit in the Adelaide International. However, with his victory over Ofner in Melbourne, he showed he has the tenacity to grind out a win. Backed by the Australian crowd, he will look to cause issues for #13 seed Dimitrov.
The latter, though, is on a hot streak of form and his confidence will be overflowing after his great start to 2024. He is playing great tennis, collecting wins over some top names. Despite a tough challenge from Kokkinakis, The SportsRush predicts Grigor Dimitrov to win in four sets or more.
The pair will fight it out on Thursday, January 18, no earlier than 4:00 p.m. local time (12:00 a.m. ET). ESPN and Tennis Channel will stream the match in the USA. Conditions are expected to be cloudy and a bit humid, with temperatures around the 21°C and moderate winds. Rain will not be an issue since the John Cain Arena features a retractable roof.
Grigor Dimitrov and Thanasi Kokkinakis form guide ahead of 2024 Australian Open clash
Grigor Dimitrov, who peaked at World No.3 in 2017, made a grand resurgence in 2023. After a few middling seasons on the fringes of the top 30, he finished the previous year ranked World No.14. He capped his rise with a runner-up finish at the 2023 Paris Masters, his first ATP 1000 final since 2017. He also reached the final of the Geneva Open, in addition to making it to the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters.
Dimitrov’s 2024 season started brilliantly, as he bagged the Brisbane International title. He proved a lot of critics who had written him off wrong, beating Holger Rune in the final. He entered the 2024 Australian Open as World No.13 with a 5-0 record for 2024. In fact, his last four losses have come against ATP top 5 players, namely, Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Jannik Sinner. He is playing elite tennis and it clearly takes a similarly elite player to stop him.
Kokkinakis, on the other hand, is coming off two straight first round exits, going 0-2 for the year before the Grand Slam. He did achieved a career-high World No.65 rank last year after shifting his focus to singles. Despite his notable recovery and rise, the Aussie, currently World No.80, still has a long way to go.
Either Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or Nuno Borges await the winner of this match in the third round.
