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One-Time Couple: On the Madness of Nick Kirius and Tanasi Kokinakis in Australia | Israel today

2022-01-28T09:35:06.763Z


They entered the doubles tournament by chance and concentrated mainly on entertaining the spectators, but then also came the victories over all the ranked • Australian Nick Kirius and Thanasi Kokinakis ignite the imagination of the home crowd, and tomorrow they will try to win the Grand Slam


It was Tuesday afternoon in Australia.

Rafael Nadal wrestled in the Broad Labor Arena against Dennis Shapovalov, and Australian Channel 9 of course concentrated on the big battle between the Spaniard, who is aiming for the 21st Grand Slam title, and the young Canadian.

Apparently there was no game available that could threaten the interest provided by Nadal and Shapovalov.

But at one point the network had to interrupt the broadcast and move to Kia Stadium, where a doubles match was held.

Local Nick Kirius and Thanasi Kokinakis battled it out against Tim Potz and Michael Venus for a place in the semi-finals - and this is the real game that all of Australia wanted to see.

"Nadal is a tremendous player, I really did not expect them to do such a thing," Kirius admitted when he heard about the channel's decision to broadcast them and not the Spaniard, "but I think the level of entertainment we provide is something else at the moment."

According to the ratings data, Kirius is right.

His and Kokinakis' games bring numbers reserved only for crucial meetings between the biggest stars in the round.

Even Ashley Barty, who is close to one game from becoming the first local champion in 44 years, fails to provide similar rating data.

The Australian crowd can not take their eyes off the pair who entered the main draw with a free ticket, and who after a win over the top two, Horsio Savages from Argentina and Marcel Granwires from Spain, are also one win away from winning the title.

This is what it means 🙌 @nickkyrgios · @tkokkinakis · #AusOpen · # AO2022 pic.twitter.com/n1oTPdzjv4

- #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2022

On Saturday, they will meet another Australian couple, Max Purcell and Matthew Abden, for the first all-Australian final in 42 years - and the country is in complete madness.

After the semi-final victory, a moment after they fell into each other's arms, Kirius stood in front of the microphones and said, "What's going on here is just amazing. But we did not finish, we want to win the title."

Changed the rules

Rare doubles tennis attracts so much interest.

The last time this happened in Australia was in the mid-90s and the Woodies - Mark Woodford and Todd Woodbridge - were a couple who received the coverage and sympathy reserved for single tennis players.

In their case, sympathy was a product of success.

The Woodies won 11 Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal and were among the best couples in the history of the game.

Kirius and Kokinakis, already nicknamed "SPECIAL KS", are far from that.

They have never won anything and in the last decade have played seven doubles games together and lost by five.

If so, the madness they produce stems from the fact that they exist solely in the here and now.

They have no past, and it is doubtful if they will have a future.

It's hard to see them connecting with an audience in Roland Garros, Wimbledon or the US as happens in Melbourne. They and the crowd here are one - raging, cheering, prey and dreaming huge.

Kirius and Kokinakis.

Australian audience in a frenzy, Photo: AP,

If in the beginning the couple provided mostly enthusiasm - from wonderful tennis moves to the case where Kirius hit a boy with a ball and ran to give him a bat as a gift - over time they also started playing to win.

During the tournament they ousted the ranked 1, 3, 6 and 15, and with some of them even got into loud confrontations.

"I want to beat this damn thing," Kirius announced after winning the quarterfinals.

The message has passed.

Saturday's final is currently the most requested event at the Australian Championships.

Everyone wants to push closely the duo that changed the rules of the doubles game.

Their special character, connection to the audience and the fact that they are not pair players gave birth to a pair that plays, behaves and wins differently.

"I think it is impossible to beat or interpret us," Kirius said, "and that is the most special thing about us."

The thing is, this whole thing was unplanned.

They became a couple by chance and entered the tournament in luck.

This is probably the main reason for the madness around them - Kirius and Kokinakis are not only a big event, they are probably also a one-time event.

More local hope

First-ranked women's Ashley Barty, who reached the final in Australia for the first time in her career, will meet American Daniel Collins tomorrow (10:30, Eurosport).

No need to tell you who the local audience in Melbourne will be for.

Barty.

Favorite title, Photo: Getty Images,

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Source: israelhayom

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