“He should’ve been rubbed out of tennis years ago,” – Fans reprimand Fabio Fognini for tanking against Thanasi Kokkinakis at the 2023 Australian Open
Thanasi Kokkinakis' match against Fabio Fognini at the ongoing 2023 Australian Open has the Italian accused of tanking.
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Thanasi Kokkinakis and Fabio Fognini
Fabio Fognini and Thanasi Kokkinakis had a delayed match at the ongoing 2023 Australian Open. Originally scheduled to play their match on Day 2, the two players will see the match conclude on Day 3. Extreme heat in Melbourne followed by rains saw the matches getting suspended and rescheduled.
Fognini and Kokkinakis were playing on the Kia Arena which became Kokkinakis’ home turf last year. The Australian had won the Doubles title with Nick Kyrgios with the majority of matches in Kia Arena drawing huge crowds. With a race against time on Day 2 to complete the match, Fognini seemed to have other plans.
The Aussie had won the first two sets 6-1, 6-2 and was cruising in the third set as well. While Kokkinakis was in a hurry to wrap up the match, Foginini was seen ‘helping’ him. The Italian was berated for ‘tanking’ the match. Tanking in sports is referred to the practice of teams and players deliberately losing the match for a later advantage.
Melbourne heat not the only thing Fabio Fognini suffered as fans oppose him
The match between Fabio Fognini and Thanasi Kokkinakis was rescheduled on Kia Arena for Day 3. As per the original plan, Bianca Andreescu and Cristina Bucsa were supposed to start the day’s proceedings. But the weather delay meant the two men would take the court first. Fans were however upset with the Italian for his disinterest and no competitive spirit while Kokkinakis was putting his heart out on the court.
The wait for Kokkinakis continues to grow. Despite a short start where he raced to 4-2 in the third set, two games away from a win, the rain started pouring in again. As a result, the match has been suspended yet again as the organizers remain adamant on ensuring no risk to players’ safety on slippery courts.
With Nick Kyrgios withdrawing from the tournament this year, Kokkinakis is anyway losing his Doubles title without any defense. He had already talked about how the internet this year has been to singles. With Doubles completely out of the equation for him, he will be more determined to get the first win and start preparing for the next match.
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Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)