Thanasi Kokkinakis withdraws as two Australians remain in contention [Video]

Only two Australians remain in Wimbledon contention after a day of elation mixed with heartbreak and missed opportunities, capped by an emotional Thanasi Kokkinakis injury withdrawal.

World No.9 Alex de Minaur – who could have faced Kokkinakis next in the third round – and Alexei Popyrin will continue to carry the torch for Australia after Adam Walton and Daria Saville suffered brutal defeats on Thursday, but Kokkinakis’ situation overshadowed them all.

Kokkinakis’ right foot slipped on the grass as he tried to recover back to the middle of the court in his second-round match against France’s Lucas Pouille, and his left leg awkwardly crumbled underneath him.

He instantly indicated it was “the same knee” he hurt at the Queen’s Club a fortnight ago in a separate fall, and he will undergo an MRI scan on Friday to …