Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis Aussies To Watch @ 2014 Australian Summer and Open

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 19th December 2013

Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis Aussies To Watch @ 2014 Australian Summer and Open

epa03555877 Nick Kyrgios of Australia during the boy's singles finals match against Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 26 January 2012 EPA/JULIAN SMITH AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

Aussie teenaged young guns Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis might be getting much of the hype as the local tennis summer approaches. But keen observer Peter McNamara is tipping his own former pupil, 26-year-old Matt Ebden, to make a run for glory long before the hot-handed youngsters.

In fact, the Germany-based Mac, one once coached Grigor Dimitrov and a decade ago, Mark Philippoussis among others, also tips No. 68 Ebden to outpace Bernard Tomic and achieve Australian No. 1 status.

Ebden and Mac worked together until last autumn, with the player lifting his ranking from 153rd. But poor form during the last half of 2013 means that Ebden has only a handful of points to defend and can make a move with good for in Australia next month.

Tomic, by contrast, is defending the title from a year ago at Sydney and is struggling to establish some momentum after a traumatic year which included an ATP ban of his violent father and losses at his last five events.

“Tomic has a lot of points to defend. (Marinko) Matosevic doesn’t and (Lleyton) Hewitt does,” McNamara told Aussie media. “So you’ve got to say that Ebden after the Australian summer will be No.1 in Australia. “I believe he’s a top 50 player, anyway. He’s one of the fittest guys around and when he believes in himself and works a little bit harder – he lacks a real weapon, but he’s got the fitness and the speed – he’s top 50, there’s no question.

“Maybe we’re looking to the next generation to come through, but one thing we have to be careful about is not putting all our eggs in one basket and just looking to this next generation to be the saviour for Australian tennis. These boys (Kyrgios and Kokkinakis) are fantastic, but they’re yet to prove themselves.”

Topics: 10sballs, Atp, Bernard Tomic, GRIGOR DIMITROV, Lleyton Hewitt, Matthew Ebden, Nick Kyrgios, Peter Mcnamara, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Thanasi Kokkinakis