"One of the guys asked me, 'What's my goal in the match?' I don't think it changes from match to match. You go there to win," Kokkinakis said. "You're not going to go there, thinking, 'I hope I get a few games.' That's just not the attitude you need."
Federer, the defending champion, had his chances in the third set, but the world No. 175's serve proved to be too strong.
“I think if I serve well and play well, I can have a good crack, but obviously playing Roger is tough," Kokkinakis said before the match. "If I play well, I think I can do some good things."
Some may have taken his words as misguided hubris, but he had a fair point: Why take the court at all if you think you're going to lose? His confident attitude paid off big-time with the greatest win of his career.
The former world No. 69 is fighting his way back up the ranks after shoulder surgery in 2015 and multiple injuries since then.
