2022 Australian Open - Day Thirteen
Men’s Doubles final:
Wildcards Thanasi Kokkinakis / Nick Kyrgios (Australia) (KK) v Matthew Ebden / Max Purcell (Australia) (MM)
Previous best in GS doubles:
Kokkinakis - 3rd round 2015 Wimbledon with Lleyton Hewitt
Kyrgios - 3rd round 2016 Wimbledon with Dan Evans, 2017 Roland Garros with Jordan Thompson
Ebden - QF 2012 Roland Garros with Ryan Harrison
Ebden also made the quarter finals of the 2021 US Open with this years partner Max Purcell.
Final:
MM were taken to deuce in the opening game, but from then on, it was clearly going to be difficult to break serve.
Towards the end of set one, things tightened somewhat, no break points, but deuces in games nine and ten.
Ebden served at 5-5, and his team was in trouble at 15-40. A lucky net cord return from Kyrgios didn’t help. The two break points were saved, as was another, but a fourth one, set up by a Kokkinakis forehand winner, wasn’t and KK cracked through.
Kokkinakis served a love game and KK won the set 7-5.
Set two was 3-3 after four successive love games and only three points against serve,
Then Ebden went to the line.
A returning game of the highest order saw MM forced onto the back foot, into error four times and the Ebden serve smashed.
Kokkinakis in particular was savage with his shot making.
KK led 4-3.
Purcell served at 3-5 to keep MM alive, and the team had to save a match point. Purcell did with a fine first serve.
MM held serve,
However, that left Kyrgios to serve at 5-4 for his team to win the match.
A forehand put away and two aces later, KK had three match points.
Kokkinakis finished it off with a backhand at the net,
Kokkinakis and Kyrgios won the 2022 Australian Open Men’s Doubles title 7-5 6-4
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