MELBOURNE: Australian bad boys Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis won the Australian Open men’s doubles title today, beating compatriots Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell on Rod Laver Arena.
The pair, especially Kyrgios, had come in for plenty of criticism for their antics during their run to the final.
Nicknamed “Special K”, they had been involved in altercations with opponents, had whipped up their boorish home fans into a frenzy, argued with umpires, smashed racquets and made obscene gestures.
But the dynamic duo, who have been friends since they were nine years old, were too strong in a clash of unseeded pairs, winning 7-6, 6-4 in 1 hour 35 minutes.
“Nick I love you brother, I can honestly say we didn’t expect to come close to this,” said Kokkinakis at the trophy presentation.
“It’s been a dream come true,” replied Kyrgios. “I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else than you.”