Racquet smashes, swearing and shushes: Special Ks fall in late-night, all-Australian thriller

They might only have one good arm between them, but Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios were still able to dazzle a packed Kia Arena crowd on Thursday night.

The “Special K” duo flaunted a slightly subdued version of their pub rock, rowdy tennis brand, but ultimately lost 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (4-10) to fellow countrymen Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans in the men’s doubles first round.

A medical timeout during the third set proved costly for Kokkinakis – who confirmed he’d be “on ice” for a while and had texted Lleyton Hewitt to withdraw from the Davis Cup team.

“I don’t want to ever play another match feeling like that again,” he told reporters in a post-match press conference.

Thursday night’s match had it all: Code violations, swearing and a theatrical racquet toss from Kyrgios, followed by numerous warnings from the chair umpire to the noisy crowd, polished off with a nail-biting tie-break that finished at midnight.

Both Kokkinakis and Kyrgios and pulled out of the men’s singles draw earlier this month, with the former plagued by right shoulder injury and the latter by the impact of multiple wrist surgeries.

However, the duo were adamant they would play doubles together – eager for a shot at recreating their glory days in the format. The pair won the 2022 Australian Open in unlikely fashion, upsetting a raft of doubles specialists with a brash style of tennis that had the stands rocking.

On Thursday night, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis displayed a tamer brand, although there were still happy to entertain the crowd with all the usual gimmicks.

“Who had Special K this morning?” a fan yelled out. Kyrgios diligently raised his hand in reply.

There were also moments of brilliance in the first set, however both Kyrgios and Kokkinakis looked slightly sluggish and struggled with their serves.

Two team two were equal on games throughout the first set. But Polmans and Kubler won a crucial point after a cheeky underarm serve from Kyrgios and suddenly had break point.

The “Special Ks” ultimately dropped the opening set 4-6 and suddenly found themselves vulnerable. But they lifted to snatch the second set 6-4.

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After Kokkinakis delivered a winning forehand, Kyrgios nearly ran him over in celebration before they both looked up at the screens to watch their own replay.

Chair umpire Marijana Veljovic intervened numerous times to remind the crowd to be quiet, adding, “Guys, the support... the cheering is great… but it’s disturbing for players”.

Of course her reprimands went down like a lead balloon, prompting boos from the crowd, followed by a chorus of comical shushes.

“Guys, this isn’t funny,” Veljovic continued, sounding more like a school teacher unsuccessfully trying to discipline a bunch of 10-year-olds.

After leading 4-1 in the third set, Kokkinakis called for a medical timeout and a physio worked on his shoulder in what proved to be a crucial turning point in the match.

“The Special Ks” then struggled to get momentum back with, Kokkinakis visibly grimacing when he served. Their opponents were too consistent in the tie-breaker and sprinted out to a 6-3 lead before finishing the job with some excellent shots at the net.

Both Kokkinakis and Kyrgios looked disappointed in the post-match press conference, with Kokkinakis telling reporters he felt like fans “saw shadows” of himself and Kyrgios due to their injuries.

So, is this the end of their doubles run?

Former world No.4 turned commentator Jelena Dokic was interviewed on Nine (the owner of this masthead) on Thursday before the match and urged the pair to consider full-time doubles.

“I would actually love to see them play doubles full-time, at least [play] more tournaments. I think that would be amazing,” she said on the Nine coverage.

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