Thanasi Kokkinakis has lifted the lid on why he required eye drops during his win over countryman Aleksandar Vukic, saying he was dealing with bouts of dizziness.
Kokkinakis came from a set down to defeat Vukic 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-3 in Adelaide, but certainly did not have it all his own way throughout the match.
After booking a semi-final meeting against world No.29 Marin Cilic, Kokkinakis explained the reason behind the eye drops.
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“My concentration was going,” he told Nine.
“I felt like I got really flat on energy. I felt like I was losing the ball when he was making contact and I was picking it up real late, I felt a little bit dizzy.
“I heard eye drops helped, it’s the first time I’ve ever used them in a match and it cleared up my vision better than I thought. Maybe I give the physio a little cut, I don’t know.”
Also a source of frustration for the 25-year-old was an inability to convert on break points, after blowing eleven consecutive break opportunities before eventually converting in the second set.
“Don’t remind me, I was counting them to myself every time they would go by,” Kokkinakis said of his missed chances.
“I felt like I honestly could’ve won the first set maybe 6-1 or 6-2. He was coming up with some good serves and I was being a little tentative.
“I was trying not to lose my marbles completely. And then two went in the second set and I was 0-of-11 and I was really about to lose it.
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“Thankfully I took one and eventually I let go and started playing good tennis.”
Kokkinakis is currently slated to face a qualifier in the opening round of the Australian Open next week.