Kokkinakis & Kyrgios v Ebden & Purcell: Australian Open men’s doubles final – live!

Kokkinakis & Kyrgios 4-5 Ebden & Purcell*

The K twins go to 0-30 on their opponents’ serve but two good serves rescue matters and it’s back to 30-30. Angled serve takes it to 40-30 and leaves Kyrgios dumbfounded. Then some Kokkinakis power forces deuce, and some luck on the net cord wins another. But Purcell is strong at the net to claim an advantage before the hold is confirmed. All pressure on the Kyrgios serve.

*Kokkinakis & Kyrgios 5-4 Ebden & Purcell

Kokkinakis’s ace takes it 30-15. Then some baseline hitting from him grabs game point. It’s taken up and the service holds continue.

Kokkinakis & Kyrgios 3-4 Ebden & Purcell*

Kokkinakis finishes it off after Kyrgios’s angled drop shot off his shoelaces. Then comes the tennis rabona under the legs, but Ebden and Purcell still serve out.

*Kokkinakis & Kyrgios 3-3 Ebden & Purcell

These games speed by. Nick Kyrgios serving now, and maintaining his ferocity. A Purcell backhand volley takes it to 40-30 but Kokkinakis volleys home to those tiresome siuuu sounds.

Kokkinakis & Kyrgios 3-2 Ebden & Purcell*

Ebden crashing in the kick serves, and does so to love, finishing with an ace.

*Kokkinakis & Kyrgios 2-2 Ebden & Purcell

Kokkinakis serves and begins with venom, this is quickfire stuff. Ebden and Purcell are canny operators and reading him well. Nevertheless, the job is completed and the game is going with serve. It’s loud in the stands, all the prawn sandwichers probably headed to the champagne tent.

Kokkinakis & Kyrgios 1-2 Ebden & Purcell*

Kokkinakis loops up a return of the Purcell serve before Edben crashes home a smash for 40-30. Purcell takes the game with some neat volleying.

*Kokkinakis & Kyrgios 1-1 Ebden & Purcell

222 km/h is the speed of the serve with which Kyrgios delivers the hold. Plenty of big air from him and his partner. Kyrgios is a decent basketball player, I am told.

Kokkinakis & Kyrgios 0-1 Ebden & Purcell*

Matt Ebden and Max Purcell look to be cruising to a routine opening hold but Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis find their shots to force deuce. In the end Ebden’s powerful serve down the middle proves decisive.

Yet another opportunity for home glory for Australia, and they can’t lose this one. Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis are the fun boy pair while Matt Ebden and Max Purcell, the more cerebral pair, with Ebden a former mixed doubles champion of his home tournament, winning that in 2013. The Melbourne crowd, doubtless featuring a high number of the city’s Greek population, will no doubt be louder on the Special K side but this will be a fun event for the home fans after all the anxiety of watching Ash Barty in the women’s final. Now that Ash has got the job done, this can be a feast of liquid tennis, though perhaps Krygios can offer some devilment into the match.