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Kokkinakis to make singles comeback
Thanasi Kokkinakis has used a protected to ranking to enter the draw at the ATP event in Lyon, France, in what will be his first singles match since Rio 2016.
Lyon, France, 21 May 2017 | tennis.com.au
Thanasi Kokkinakis will play his first singles match in nine months after using a protected ranking to enter the singles field in Lyon.
The South Australian, having suffered from a slower-than-expected recovery following shoulder surgery in December 2015, will play his first singles match since the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro last year.
Kokkinakis lines up against Denis Istomin, with the winner to face top seed Milos Raonic, who received a first-round bye.
The last time Kokkinakis played singles at an ATP-sanctioned event was in Valencia in October 2015, where he fell in the second round of qualifying.
In the 19 months between that tournament and now, his only singles outing came in Rio – a straight sets loss to Gastao Elias in round one.
He did make a few appearances in doubles during that time, winning the Brisbane International doubles title with Jordan Thompson in January and this week pairing with Alex Bolt at the Bordeaux Challenger.
Thompson will also appear in the draw in Lyon; the Aussie No.3 will face eighth seed Benoit Paire in his opening match.
Also in the draw is Nick Kyrgios, who is seeded fourth and who will receive a first-round bye.
In the second round Kyrgios will take on the winner of the match between German Dustin Brown or a qualifier.
In Strasbourg, Ash Barty has qualified for the main draw to join fellow Aussies Sam Stosur and Daria Gavrilova at the WTA International-level event.
> READ MORE: Stosur takes late Strasbourg wildcard
Barty saw off Frenchwomen Chloe Paquet and Virginie Razzano in her two qualifying matches and in the first round of the main draw will face lucky loser Cagla Buyukakcay.
Should she progress, Barty would in the second round face No.2 seed Elena Vesnina or dangerous qualifier Camila Giorgi.
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