Nick Kyrgios has lost his first round match at the US Open against Andy Murray in four sets.
Kyrgios was his usual mix of flair and meltdown, taking a set from Murray but also having a few spats with the crowd along the way.
All eyes were on Kyrgios in his first match since being placed on a four-week suspended ban last week for his sledging of French Open champion Stan Wawrinka.
It didn’t take long for the young hot-head to set social media alight as tennis types took to Twitter to retweet his early blow-up in the opening set.
After breaking Murray for a 2-1 lead in the third game, Kyrgios was livid at dropping serve the very next game.
He protested to chair umpire Carlos Ramos after fans were allowed to file into Arthur Ashe Stadium during his service game, when it’s customary in tennis for spectators only to be admitted into matches during changeovers.
“What the hell were they doing letting people in in that game?” he protested.
Kyrgios continued his rant as he dropped serve again to concede the first set.
“Middle of the game. Unreal. Such bulls*** F***ing bulls***,” he fumed.
Kyrgios’ expletive-laden tirade might have constituted verbal abuse, a no-no that would ordinarily trigger a ban.
But while he’s on probation with the ATP, the sanctions don’t apply at the grand slams, which are governed by the ITF.
An exasperated Kyrgios also received an audible obscenity after dropping his opening game of the fourth set.
Kyrgios’ antics overshadowed an otherwise decent performance from the world No.37.
It was the first time in four meetings that he’d won a set against Murray and he may well have won more – and even the match – had he been able to convert any more than three of his break-point chances.
“I thought I put in a really good performance tonight,” Kyrgios said.
“Obviously it’s not the result I wanted. But I thought I was focused and ready for today. I had a good preparation.
“Obviously I would have liked to play him deeper in the draw. Somebody has to play him.
“I think he’s probably in the best form of his life. He can go really well, potentially win it.”
Nick Kyrgios will try to let his tennis do the talking, when he faces Andy Murray in the opening round of the US Open on Wednesday morning (Australian time).
Join The Roar for live scores and commentary of the match from 9am AEST.
It has been a turbulent month for the Australian number 2.
After telling Stan Wawrinka all about Thanasi Kokkinakis and Donna Vekic, he has been the number 1 target for everyone to have an opinion on him.
Media, other tennis players, and the fans have all been quick to provide a comment about what he did.
Thankfully, for his sake, he just received a fine and a suspended sentence for the outburst. This has allowed him to compete at the US Open for the third straight year. The tennis gods haven’t been kind to him though with a match-up against Andy Murray.
Murray, who has always been a supporter of Kyrgios’ antics, didn’t want to be drawn in on the controversy. He has opted instead to focus on improving his record against the Aussie.
In three meetings between the two, Murray has won all of them. This includes two this year at the Australian Open and the French Open. The Brit has not lost a set against the Aussie and has the dominance over his opponent.
To put it simply, he knows how to nullify the power of Kyrgios. Murray counter punches well, and is one of the best on the tour at it. That frustrates Kyrgios, who can’t finish points off quickly, and he makes mistakes.
When he doesn’t make mistakes, and has a bit of patience, the contest is close between the two. When he does, Murray has full control.
That will be the focus for Kyrgios this morning. Make sure he stays in points, and has patience when it comes to the rallies.
If he does that then the Canberra kid can win sets.
The other concern for Kyrgios is his back. He struggled with that against Gasquet in Cincinnati and it will be interesting to see if he has recovered in time for the match this morning.
Murray is the favourite for the match, and should win based on form and ranking. Don’t be surprised though if Kyrgios gives him a nice fright along the way.
Prediction – Murray 3-1.
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