The amazing Thanasi Kokkinakis has hailed the "best mental effort" of his career, roaring back from the brink of defeat after four-and-a-quarter hours in sweltering Paris heat to launch another trademark fantastical five-set comeback at the French Open.
On a manic, mixed Monday for Australia's elite, with Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina also braving "brutal" conditions to prevail, injury-plagued Kokkinakis, who feared at the Australian Open his career could be finally sunk by chronic shoulder trouble, defied all odds to outlast French leftie Terence Atmane.
Two sets to one down, then 5-3 and 30-0 behind in the decider as the local served for the match, roared on by a fevered home crowd, Adelaide's finest conjured up all his old famed resilience to haul himself back and prevail 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 4-6 6-3 7-5.
