Stefanos Tsitsipas first met Thanasi Kokkinakis in an exhibition match held in Athens back in 2015.
6 years later they stood at opposite ends of Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
Fans were on the edge of their seats for the whole game.
Despite loosing the fourth set tiebreak, 22-year old Tsitsipas came back hitting hard to progress to the third round of the 2021 Australian Open.
Tsitsipas on the brink! š¬š·
It's been a tough battle, but the 5ā£th seed is just 1ā£ game away from sealing the deal!
WATCH: @Channel9
STREAM: https://t.co/TYsz5RZN3Z#9WWOS #AusOpen #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/Gm01GMiaNA— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) February 11, 2021
Tsitsipas beat Kokkinakis 6-7, 6-4, 6-1, 6-7, 6-4 in four hours and thirty-three minutes.
He will now take on Swedish Mikael Ymer in the third round.
āDear Fansā: Stefanos Tsitsipas shares his life and passions
World No.6 Stefanos Tsitsipas has invited his fans to accompany him on his journey on and off the court.
Dubbed the next Roger Federer, Tsitsipas has been hitting the ball over the net from a young age.
In his short tennis career, he already has five ATP titles to his name. Moreover, he won the ATP Finals in 2019 and is a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist.
Over the years there will a lot more to celebrate.
The 22-year-old couldnāt contain his excitement announcing the news of his new original series, āDear FansāĀ on social media.
The series has now started streaming on theĀ Tennis Channel.
Spectacular comeback from Thanasi Kokkinakis at the 2021 Australian Open
Greek Australian tennis playerĀ Thanasi KokkinakisĀ made a successful comeback.
Despite skipping the entire 2020 season due to glandular fever that stripped kilos from his frame, he successfully returned to theĀ tennisĀ tour.
Not to mention he has battled aĀ litanyĀ of seriousĀ injuries over the last few years.
Australian Greek tennis legendĀ Mark Philippoussis serves as KokkinakisāĀ mentor.
