\n See draw<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
Local favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis marked a grueling return to the winner\u2019s circle Monday, overcoming both a one-set deficit and a fresh injury scare to defeat American Sebastian Korda 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3)<\/a> at the Adelaide International<\/a>.<\/p>\n The victory was Kokkinakis\u2019 first singles win in nearly a year, coming 362 days after his last appearance at the 2025 Australian Open. Since then, the 29-year-old Australian has undergone a rare and complex surgery to repair a chronic tear in his right pectoral muscle \u2013\u00a0a procedure that involved using a cadaver\u2019s Achilles tendon to reattach the muscle to his shoulder.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cOh man\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Playing in front of a partisan crowd at Memorial Drive, the site of his lone ATP singles title in 2022, Kokkinakis appeared to be heading for a quick exit after Korda claimed the opening set with clinical efficiency.<\/p>\n However, the momentum shifted in the second set as Kokkinakis began to find the range on his trademark serve. The revival was nearly derailed when the Australian called for a medical timeout to treat his right shoulder. Despite visible discomfort and discussions with his team about a potential retirement, Kokkinakis pushed through a tense third-set tiebreak to seal the match in 2 hours and 26 minutes.<\/p>\n \u201cOh man. It\u2019s been a rough 12 months, but this makes it all worth it,\u201d Kokkinakis said during his on-court interview. \u201cI had my eye on this in Adelaide. I knew I\u2019d come to a packed crowd. I was talking to my team every two minutes about whether I should stop. I felt like, \u2018Even if I win, at what cost?\u2019 but I love it here.\u201d<\/p>\n Vacherot next<\/p>\n
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