Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis stay unfazed after claiming they have been threatened with violence following their win within the Australian Open males’s doubles draw on Friday.
Key factors:
- Kokkinakis described the alleged incident as “fairly humorous”
- He says he and Kyrgios didn’t disrespect their opponents in Friday’s doubles match
- The pair are by to the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park
Within the wake of the second-round victory over prime seeds Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić, Kyrgios tweeted {that a} coach and coach related to the Croatians needed to “battle” the Australians.
It adopted an animated match in entrance of a boisterous packed crowd on Kia Area, which Kyrgios and Kokkinakis received 7-6 (10-8), 6-3.
They had whipped the crowd right into a frenzy, with Pavić later complaining concerning the behaviour of the spectators.
Talking after their third-round win on Sunday, Kokkinakis stated each he and Kyrgios had shared amusing concerning the alleged incident.
“It was fairly humorous, I am not going to lie. Me and Nick, attempting to be professionals, so we went within the gymnasium after our doubles match, possibly one of many first occasions ever,” he stated.
“I’ll be sincere, it was Pavić’s health coach and he got here up and he smashed a foam curler in opposition to a pole as laborious as he can and I believed he was sort of joking. I wasn’t positive if he was about to berate his gamers.
“He got here as much as Nick and stated we have been being disrespectful. Nick hit the opponent with a ball, however that is regular, these doubles gamers have gotten unbelievable fingers so it’s a must to go at them.
Kokkinakis stated the Olympic and Wimbledon champions have been sore losers.
He stated he and Kyrgios wouldn’t apologise for the leisure they bring about once they play doubles collectively.
“It was simply our power and I feel on the finish of the day they have been a bit salty they misplaced as a result of they’ve received their justifiable share of tournaments,” Kokkinakis stated.
“I do not know, I believed they might deal with shedding a little bit higher than that, however on the finish of the day we’re simply attempting to entertain the gang.
Kyrgios added: “[I] Simply loved it flat out.”
Kokkinakis and Kyrgios reached the quarterfinals of the boys’s doubles draw after defeating fifteenth seeds Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
They play sixth seeds Tim Pütz and Michael Venus within the final eight.