Atlanta, Ga. – It took one hour and 12 minutes for Georgia Tech. Andres Martin No. 69 Thanasi Kokkinakis won 6-3, 6-2, in the first round of the 2022 Atlanta Open on College Night on Tuesday.
Kokkinakis and Martin, who picked up his first ATP Tour title earlier this year, held serve in the opening set before Jack got a break at 4-2. Martin held serve in the next game, fighting back from two break points to claim a 5-2 loss against the Australian native. The Yellow Jacket closed out the opening set 6-3 to take the lead against Kokkinakis, who was serving his first goal since Wimbledon.
Serving at 2-all in the second set, Martin broke Kokkinakis 3-2 and never looked back. Martin, who went 1-2, went on to win the next five games to secure a spot in the second round.
“Once I knew I was going to play him. [Kokkinakis], I created a game plan and stuck to it as hard as I could,” Martin said. “I focused on what I could control and it eventually worked out for me.
Martin commented: “I’ve just been focusing on what we’ve been working on all summer, which is getting a little bit better. This victory is big for me and my faith.
Competing in his first ATP Tour event, Martin became the youngest player to win an ATP Tour or Grand Slam match at 736 after defeating No. 863 Yuki Bambry Jozef Kovalik at Pune 2022.
It was a packed night at Georgia Tech as Martin lined the court with Georgia Tech cheerleaders, Buzz and the famous Ramblin’ Rec. Before his first service, Georgia Tech football head coach Jeff Collins He performed a ceremonial coin toss at Center Court to kick off the evening.
Martin will face No. 78 Adrian Mannarino (FRA) in the second round.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics and provides scholarships, operations and facilities for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech champions every day and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for major college athletic championships. Annual Athletic Scholarship FundScholarships awarded directly to Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
