Kokkinakis beaten in maiden ATP final

Thanasi Kokkinakis has been beaten by in a tight Los Cabos final by Wimbledon semifinalist Sam Querrey.

Melbourne & Olympic Parks, Olympic Blvd, Melbourne VIC • 3001, Australia, 6 August 2017 | Tennis Australia

Thanasi Kokkinakis will rocket more than 200 places up the rankings despite falling just short of winning his maiden ATP Tour final in Los Cabos, Mexico.

Kokkinakis went down to world No.24 Querrey 6-3 3-6 6-2, the Australian showing more positive signs after a long layoff from the sport.

Playing his sixth tournament since missing 18 months due to a litany of injuries, 21-year-old Kokkinakis is expected to jump from No.454 in the world to No.225 after his big week in Mexico.

In-form Querrey, a Wimbledon semifinalist and winner of the Mexican Open in March, was a little too polished for Kokkinakis when it mattered most.

A low first service percentage proved Kokkinakis’s undoing in the first set and the American needed just one break to lock it away.

The South Australian improved his delivery in the second and made inroads on Querrey’s serve to level the match.

.@TKokkinakis: "For 2 years I missed so much…To come back & play at this level, what better place to do it than @AbiertoLosCabos" #ATC2017 pic.twitter.com/A6lvmluTpl

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 6, 2017

A poor first service game in the final set then cost Kokkinakis dearly and he quickly found himself 3-0 down in the decider.

He had two opportunities to break back at 2-4 but failed to capitalise as the second seed held and won the next game to take the match.

“For me this has been unbelievable,” an emotional Kokkinakis said. “In two years I have missed so much time.

“I was sitting on the couch doing nothing for two years and now to come back and play at this level and have such a great tournament; what better place to do it than Los Cabos.”

Kokkinakis had defeated top seed and world No.14 Tomas Berdych to make the final.

That came after a solid grass court campaign where he beat world No.9 Milos Raonic at Queen’s and pushed Juan Martin del Potro at Wimbledon.

His strong form is timely with the US Open starting at the end of the month and a Davis Cup semi-final against Belgium in Brussels on clay from September 15.