Month: January 2014

Benoît Paire Vs Nick Kyrgios TIE BREAK Australian Open 2014 FULL HD

On Twitter Nick Kyrgios said:

Nicholas Kyrgios ‏@NickKyrgios 12h

I would like to thank everyone who stayed & supported on MCA tonight, it was a dream to play. Sorry I didn’t get the win but I gave my all.

Australia’s Nick Kyrgios joins the crowd and performs the mexican wave during his men’s singles match against France’s Benoit Paire. Source: AFP

Weather-wise, we’re crying out for it here in Melbourne – tonight’s southerly buster can’t come quick enough.

Tennis-wise, a storm has hit Australian tennis – 2K.

Not Y2K. That was useless. The real 2K: Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis.

A week like this has been building up for a while behind the scenes.

The boom began years ago. Colleague on The Daily Serve Pat Cash witnessed it on a junior Davis Cup tour, quickly noting Kyrgios as the alpha male, leader of the bunch while Kokkinakis was the clever one, always quick with a comeback.

I remember talking to Wayne Arthurs two years ago at a Grand Slam event, pondering another failure of our players to do any sort of damage in the first week. The inevitable “is there anyone on the horizon?” topic was brought up. He just nodded, and said watch out for these kids.

Numerous other Tennis Australia types have been excited for a while. We can see why.

Sure they are out of the tournament now, but talent-wise, they look set to be part of the discussion in Melbourne, Paris, London and New York for over a decade.

But a little more about how they got here.

Nick Kyrgios goes down fighting against Benoit Paire

French 27th seed Benoit Paire has advanced to the third round of the Australian Open, but not before Aussie up-and-comer Nick Kyrgios took him all the way in a five-set thriller on Margaret Court Arena.

Kyrgios, from Canberra, is a natural on the big stage. So is his sister, who travels the world and is now based in Asia as a musical theatre performer.

He loves the spotlight, like at last December’s Newcombe Medal when the dancefloor started up. He cut loose, with success.

He also loves basketball, and was showing talent in that pastime before he decided tennis was his thing. Good choice.

The trick for Kyrgios to master is getting to these events in the best possible shape in order to turn promise into something tangible. There’ll be events on cold May days on clay in Europe, with four people watching to battle through. Punishing pre-seasons at Melbourne Park, spending four hours on court and more time in the gym. We witnessed one such day in the lead up to this summer, and it was brutal. But that will need to be repeated hundreds of times over to get to the point of delivering on promise.

That’s why last night was so good – it’ll make him acutely aware that’s what is required.

Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia plays a forehand in his first round match against Igor Sijsling. Source: Getty Images

The same applies for Thanasi Kokkinakis, who doesn’t have the showmanship of Kyrgios but has bucket loads of commonsense and drive.

An Adelaide boy, his eyes have been fully opened to a Grand Slam tournament here, after missing out on the big show last year due to injury. He lost a few months due to a stress fracture in his back. His second. Growing pains, but hopefully worth it, because it’s made him realise early on not to take anything for granted.

He hasn’t here, soaking in everything about the event, dealing with the publicity.

He did things slightly different, keeping his longtime coach, Todd Langham instead of going with a Tennis Australia employed option.

TA have helped him, bringing Langham into the umbrella, which is smart now because Kokkinakis and coach are like brothers and know each other backwards.

Thanasi Kokkinakis fights hard in David and Goliath clash

Rising star Thanasi Kokkinakis showed that he was no easybeat against world number one Rafael Nadal in their second round clash at the Australian Open despite the Spaniard advancing in straight sets.

Thanasi prepared in America this off-season, annoying a few people in TA who perhaps saw preparation in Melbourne as a better option.

But the 17-year-old was hitting with Americans like Sam Querrey, while going to LA Clippers games (like Nick, he loves his NBA) and going to Jay Z concerts.

He knew it before, and the match against Nadal was just further confirmation: he’ll have plenty more opportunities like that if he picks the right schedule and gets his preparation spot on.

These two will leave Melbourne feeling pretty good about themselves as they head out into the big, wide world of big boys tennis.

All the ingredients are there for good times ahead and it will be fascinating to see where they are in 12 months-time.

Source: adelaidenow.com.au

Source: mtc.com.au

Source: tennisearth.com

Australian Open Tennis Day 4, 15th January , Melbourne Australia. Rafael Nadal V’s Thanasi Kokkinakis. Kokkinakis during the opening set. Pic George Salpigtidis Source: News Limited

Source: strictlyballroomthemusical.com

PHOEBE PANARETOS – FRAN

Phoebe grew up in Sydney and went to Newtown School of Performing Arts and graduated topping the State in drama. She moved to Melbourne and was an inaugural 2011 Musical Theatre graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts where she awarded the Encouragement Award from the Friends of the VCA. In her final year she played the role of Anita in West Side Story Directed by Martin Croft.

Phoebe originally made her professional debut in Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Oliver when she was 11 years old playing the role of Rose. Other credits include touring Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide with the Simpsons Tour and singing at the Premier’s Concert in Sydney at the Entertainment Centre.

Since graduating Phoebe was cast in a role in the Television series Mr and Mrs Murder. In 2012 she toured to both Singapore and Hong Kong with Smile Live Entertainment production of Thomas And The Hidden Treasure. Earlier this year Phoebe was very excited to be part of The Production Company’s 2013 season of Singing in the Rain.

Phoebe would like to thank her family, teachers and Ian White Management for their support and guidance in getting her to this wonderful opportunity to play Fran – one of the most iconic film roles in Australian Films. Phoebe is extremely excited and honoured to be playing Fran and working with the amazing Baz Luhrmann.

With the full cast of the highly anticipated Global Creatures next major production Strictly Ballroom the musical finally announced, Aussie Theatre’s David Allen recently caught up with the shows two young stars Thomas Lacey and Phoebe Panaretos to talk about playing two iconic characters, growing up with the movie and being directed by Baz Luhrmann.

Thomas Lacey and Phoebe Panaretos

Thomas Lacey and Phoebe Panaretos may have just been cast in one of the biggest music theatre ventures in Australian history, but there’s no evidence of star ego here. Their enthusiasm and excitement is palpable as we talk. They’re both absolutely psyched to be standing where they are – the stars of a new Baz Luhrmann stage musical – and yet even after the intensive rehearsals and auditions, there’s still a sense of wonderment. I did it? I got the part? Whoa!

“I’m still processing it,” says Thomas Lacey as we talk in Sydney one balmy afternoon. “It’s so weird to think about it after everything that has happened. We’re lucky though to be working with Baz – he’s just very personable and disarming. It’s really helped all through auditions. You just knew he wanted to know you more and to work with you and bring out your best.”

Phoebe Panaretos is the actress to play the coveted role of Fran in the new Strictly Ballroom stage adaptation, and though she is clearly a dancer’s dancer, there is something friendly and effortless about her that makes her seem like a natural fit for the role. Unlike Luhrmann’s last leading lady, Daisy Buchanan in his epic screen adaptation of The Great Gatsby, there is no frivolity of pretension about Phoebe or Fran – this is a young actress ready to get to work. Thomas Lacey, her co-star and leading man in the role of Scott Hastings, has a very similar vibe. Talking to them is like chatting with a pair of mates, they’re so comfortable together.

“We met one day early on during auditions,” said Phoebe as we go on.

“We both managed to arrive an hour early one day and so we sat down next to each other and got chatting. Then around April in 2013 we did a read through together and at the time we laughed and said ‘wouldn’t it be great if we ended up the leads together’. And now here we are!”

They both laugh and we move on to the million dollar question. Though there are many famous and successful Australian directors working in the mainstream entertainment industry, love him or hate him, no one has inspired the same level of interest and discussion as Baz Luhrmann. Though most notable for his film work, it’s not that long ago that his production of La Boheme wowed audiences on Broadway. What is it like then working with one of Australia’s most sought after creative minds?

“I was nervous meeting him the first time,” Phoebe confesses.

“There’s something to be said for casting unestablished talent, for taking that risk, and we can only thank Baz for making it possible”

“I was so excited just even being there, and then he walked in and I think it took him about ten minutes to make everyone there completely comfortable. He just knows how to get you to relax and draw your best work out of you.”

“The best part of it,” adds Thomas, “is that you’re in the room with Baz. You’re not working with ‘Baz Luhrmann’. He’s easy and fun to work with. Just a lot of fun, there’s lots of jokes – he really does just get how to put you at your ease while you work with him.”

Strictly Ballroom is, of course, one of the most iconic Australian movies ever made. A resounding smash hit when it was first released in 1992 starring Paul Mercurio and Tara Morice, it has since gone on to be a cult favourite amongst Australian audiences and around the world. The announcement of the stage adaptation presented by Global Creatures and directed again by Baz Luhrmann has gone on to generate a great deal of excitement.

“I first saw the movie when I was fifteen,” Thomas laughs, “I wasn’t born even I think when the movie was released. I watched it a lot though this year. It’s a movie that it’s really easy to obsess over actually.”

“I watched it taped on a VHS off the TV with my grandma,” adds Phoebe, “it was a while ago now.”

Thomas laughs as he admits, “I actually thought when my agent first sent me the casting brief last year that I was auditioning for a movie! I read through it quickly and thought: ‘Baz Luhrmann’ – ok it must be a movie. I was talking to my sister about it later on and she absolutely tore into me about it and told me how important this was and she told me all about the story and the character and she’s really been my go-to person about it since.”

About the iconic role of Fran, Phoebe Panaretos is bright and optimistic.

“I knew when I first read the casting brief that this is a part I could play. I’m very new to music theatre and I entered into the audition process with no expectations. I think that actually helped because it meant from the beginning I could see myself as a ‘Fran’ in many ways. I was off exploring a new part of myself just like she does in the show.”

“It really is great that such young performers have been cast,” adds Thomas.

“Casting directors so often go for the same people – the people they know and have worked with before. We’re both complete unknowns and at the end of this big international search for our characters… the fact that Baz and Global Creatures have taken such a bold decision to cast us, it’s just so humbling.”

“We can only hope,” says Phoebe, “that this can pave the way for other producers casting the big shows to do the same. There’s something to be said for casting unestablished talent, for taking that risk, and we can only thank Baz for making it possible.”

I ask what the two young leads are both looking forward to the most about the show. Their answer tumbles out almost simultaneously as they both laugh and shout out: “Staring rehearsals!”

“I have to admit though,” says Thomas, “that I’m looking forward to doing the big slide in the final dance number. I can’t wait to do that on stage – it’s just going to be epic and I can’t wait to see what we do with that.”

“Phoebe and I got to workshop the Milk Bar scene from the show” – aficionados of the movie: start your engines! Others: start your DVD players! Seriously, you need to see this movie – “and we worked together for about twenty minutes each time. It was such a full on acting journey. Each time we ran it, it ended up being completely different, and Baz just knows exactly what to say and just what questions to ask to open your mind to the scene and the characters. I think Phoebe and I are going to be a more intimate Scott and Fran on stage. I’m really looking forward to discovering these characters and growing in rehearsals, and what a show to be able to do that in!”

Strictly Ballroom the musical will commence previews at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre on Tuesday, March 25.

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Source: HeraldSun

Thanasi Kokkinakis serves in his first round match against Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands during day two of the 2014 Australian Open. Picture: Michael Dodge. Source: Getty Images

AS the elder statesman bid farewell, the future of Australian tennis was arriving in the form of Thanasi Kokkinakis just a couple of courts away.

While Lleyton Hewitt’s Australian Open ended on Rod Laver Arena, across the way on show court 3 the 17-year-old South Australian was producing a Hewitt-like performance to register a remarkable career breakthrough.

Battling cramp for most of the final set, Kokkinakis fought through the pain to defeat Dutchman Igor Sijsling 7-6 (4) 0-6 7-6 (3) 6-2.

His victory completed a landmark day for the new generation with his good friend Nick Kyrgios also progressing after a hard-fought victory over Germany’s Benjamin Becker.

Kokkinakis, a wildcard entrant and the youngest player in the men’s field, was only playing the second top level match of his career.

His first was in Brisbane a fortnight ago where he won a spot in the main draw through qualifying and was then defeated in the opening round by Hewitt.

Sijsling started an overwhelming favourite in the match given he is ranked No. 73 in the world but he couldn’t capitalise even when his younger opponent was hurting.

Kokkinakis started to experience problems with his calf early in the fourth set and he could barely move at times yet somehow raced to a 3-0 lead.

The cramp started to move further up his leg later in the set but Kokkinankis held his nerve and easily broke Sijsling’s serve to take out the victory in just over three hours.

The South Australian teen said he enjoyed the support from friends and Aussie tennis fans.

“I’m very excited. I had a fair few of my close mates all around,” he said.

“I was trying to pick them out. When I kind of high fived my mates everyone else had their hand out, so I went around with it. It was good fun.”

He admitted that he just managed to “hang in there” when the cramp set in.

“I don’t actually know (how I got through) because, I mean, I started to feel it really early, maybe 5 6 in the third set,” he said.

“I was like, ‘Oh, this ain’t going to end too well’. I just tried to make returns.

“I think he got a little tighter thinking what’s down the other end.

“I was trying to hang in there and try to find the cheap points.

“I was shortening the points as much as I could, because when it was going for a while I wasn’t having much success.

“I broke him early in the fourth, which he should have won that game. Somehow I came up with it. Kind of just tried to keep my serve.”

He said he was sorry that some Aussies bowed out on day two but was optimistic about the state of the game.

“It’s good for Australian tennis to have me and Nick (Kyrgios) through. Unfortunately Lleyton and Bernie obviously didn’t get up.

“But, I mean, Matty (Ebden) is still in. James (Duckworth) I felt put in a good effort against Federer.

“So I think Australian tennis is on the up. Yeah, I know, it’s exciting stuff.”