Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis do it again as Special Ks win Atlanta title: ‘Me and Kokky were resilient’

ATP Tour
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios on court

They had to do double doubles duty on Sunday, but Australian Open champions Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis came through both matches to win the Atlanta Open title.

The second-seeded Australian pair started their day with a 6-4, 6-7 (7-9), 10-2 win over the American duo of Jack Sock and Rajeev Ram to reach the final.

They returned later in the day to face fellow Australians Jason Kubler and John Peers in the showpiece match and secured a 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 in one hour and 35 minutes to win their second doubles title as a pair.

“Obviously Atlanta is a special place. Won the singles title here [in 2016] and now the doubles,” Kyrgios said

“Crowd’s amazing and it was a new experience playing two matches in one day as well for a title. Me and Kokky were pretty resilient and obviously no singles this week, but confidence is at an all-time high in doubles.”

Special Ks, as they were dubbed during their run to the Australian Open doubles title at the start of the year, had a match point in game 10, but the Kubler-Peers duo saved it.

However, they were not to be denied two games later as they claimed the only break of the game to seal the match.

“Stoked to have won the Atlanta doubles title with Nick. It’s always a pleasure playing with him,” Kokkinakis said.

“Second title for the year and I think we’re getting better. It’s been a great week here, a good way to start off the [American] summer in Atlanta for the US Open and hopefully we can keep it rolling.”

It was a day of delight for Australia in Atlanta as Alex de Minaur defeated Jenson Brooksby from the United States 6-3, 6-3 to win the men’s singles title.

Nick Kyrgios Thanasi Kokkinakis

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