On a manic, mixed Monday for Australia's elite, with Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina also braving "brutal" conditions to prevail, injury-plagued Kokkinakis, who feared at the Australian Open his career could be finally sunk by chronic shoulder trouble, defied all odds to outlast French leftie Terence Atmane.
Two sets to one down, then 5-3 and 30-0 behind in the decider as the local served for the match, roared on by a fevered home crowd, Adelaide's finest conjured up all his old famed resilience to haul himself back and prevail 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 4-6 6-3 7-5.
"To come back after such little tennis on a grand stage and in these conditions against a good player from France, it's probably my best mental effort," said the Adelaide warrior.
"Even a few days ago there was talks that I wasn't sure if I'd play. I had some people flying in, and I told them to stay home, because I didn't want to play a few games and something go bad.
"To be honest. I was very scared, very nervous to go out there -- but when I got going, I just played on energy."
It was classic Kokkinakis, going to a fifth-set decider for the 16th time in his career and eking out a ninth win.
For a 30-year-old who reckons the next 12 months will make or break his career as he attempts his latest comeback from a career-saving shoulder op 18 months ago, it felt simply glorious.
"I had a guy about 30 centimetres away behind me, screaming in my ear -- but it's fun. I give them a smile," he laughed.
Whether he'll be in any shape for his next round clash with veteran Spanish grinder Pablo Carreno Busta, though, is another matter. "I'm looking at tomorrow morning and seeing how I'll wake up."
Earlier, de Minaur hadn't been at his very best but still had too much quality for British qualifier Toby Samuel.
The world No.7 pronounced himself "happy with a very consistent match" after outplaying the main draw debutant 6-4 6-4 6-2 and building on the new focus and confidence he'd gleaned by reaching last week's Hamburg Open semis..
Conditions could hardly have been further removed from last week's cold and rain in Germany, but de Minaur loved the "very hot and lively" sun-baked courts in 33C temperatures. "I'm very happy with the way I had adapted, I did what I needed," he said, though rising Belgian star Alexander Blockx will be tougher in round two.
A month after plummeting to her lowest ranking for 11 years, Kasatkina was thrilled to prevail 6-4 6-4 against tough Turkish customer Zeynep Sonmez
"Honestly, a couple of weeks ago I would probably lose this match," said the resurgent 29-year-old after a see-saw battle featuring 10 breaks.
The weather didn't inspire other Aussies, but the sunshine smile couldn't be ripped from the face of 17-year-old Emerson Jones, even while being given the almost inevitable 6-1 6-2 drubbing by Iga Swiatek on the Court Philippe Chatrier that the Pole used to own.
Even needing treatment after the first set for a blister on her racquet hand couldn't stop the four-time champ giving the Gold Coast former world junior No.1 a one-hour lesson.
"It's really exciting," Jones enthused. So great to step out on that court in front of that many people against Iga."
Australian No.1 Maya Joint naturally didn't feel the same way about her own 6-1 6-2 loss. Still feeling her way back after two months out with a back injury, she was outclassed 6-1 6-2 by 28th seed Anastasia Potapova in 71 minutes.
Talia Gibson, so brilliant in the sunshine swing in the US, again found the clay a very different matter, succumbing from a set up against the ever durable Kazakh Yulia Putintseva 4-6 6-4 6-1.
Fresh from outstaying de Minaur in the Hamburg semi-final, American Tommy Paul turned Aussier slayer again, fighting back to beat Rinky Hijikata 4-6 6-3 7-5 6-4, while his fellow Sydneysider Aleksandar Vukic went down 6-3 6-3 7-6 (7-4) to Belgian Raphael Collignon.
