Thanasi Kokkinakis was warned for “bending the rules” as he called the physio during his marathon battle with Jack Draper in Melbourne.
The Australian had been physically struggling throughout the match and had already received an earlier medical time out. He dug deep to take the lead and served for the fourth set but Draper broke back and stole it, forcing a decider.
As Draper left the court, Kokkinakis called the trainer again to receive more treatment. But he quickly learned he wasn’t allowed a full timeout as commentators criticised the “stupid” rule.
Kokkinakis came into the Australian Open with some physical problems after pulling out of his home tournament in Adelaide last week. And he continued to struggle against Draper, repeatedly wincing and seeing the physio for treatment around his chest and shoulder.
They split the first two sets but the world No. 71 suddenly found something midway through the third after getting a medical time-out. He came through a 15-minute game and soon found a new gear, taking the third set and storming into a break lead in the fourth.
Kokkinakis had the match on his racket, serving for it at 5-4 in the fourth. But Draper refused to go away and reeled off four straight games to take it 7-5, forcing a fifth and final set.
The Brit left the court for a toilet break ahead of the decider and Kokkinakis took the opportunity to see the physio again.
“This gives Kokkinakis a chance to have more attention from the physios,” commentator Mikey Perera said, before realising Kokkinakis and the physio were trying to get the approval of the umpire. “‘Is this ok?’” he repeated.
Co-commentator Barry Millns pointed out that a medical time out wasn’t above board. He replied: “I’m not sure it is. Because why should it be any different to what the umpire said to Kokkinakis?”
Marijana Veljovic confirmed that Kokkinakis needed to wait for a regular changeover to see the trainer. “Yeah, it’s got to be a changeover. He’s had the medical time out,” Perera relayed.
The physio had already started massaging Kokkinakis’ chest and shoulder by this point, and Millns thought it was grounds for a warning – even if he didn’t agree with the rule.
“I’m kind of being a stickler for the rules but that should be a warning, really. But the umpire won’t. He knew the rules. She made it clear at the end of the third set. He had the treatment at 2-1 in the third,” he continued.
Perera added: “He’s kind of bending the rules a little bit.” And Millns suggested that medical time outs should be allowed if a player’s opponent was already taking a break.
“Which you can totally understand. You have to think it’s a stupid rule anyway if Draper has left the court,” he said.
Kokkinakis stopped receiving treatment once he realised it wasn’t allowed. Instead, he walked to the corner of the court to speak to his team – something that is allowed during a bathroom break.
In keeping with the rules, the physio was back out during the first changeover of the fifth set, using the alloted time to work on Kokkinakis’ injury. The Australian eventually broke down as Draper found something extra in the decider, beating a physically ailing Kokkinakis 6-7(3) 6-3 3-6 7-5 6-3.