Nick Kyrgios is the future of Australian tennis, but don’t sell Sam Groth, or Marinko Matosevic short.
Kyrgios was bundled out of the US Open third round by veteran Spaniard and 16th seed Tommy Robredo 3-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3, but the youngster showed he has the raw ability to make it into the world’s top 10 sometime next year.
The 19-year-old literally blew Robredo off the court in the first set, racing to a 5-0 lead before you could blink.
But Robredo is made off sterner stuff than that, and gave Kyrgios the warning signs by winning the next three games before the Australian regrouped to take the set 6-3.
The second set was all Robredo. Having been hit with everything but the kitchen sink in the first set, the Spaniard played errorless tennis to take the second 6-3, thanks to Kyrgious’ 11 unforced errors. The Australian’s booming first serve went missing, except for two games where he served four successive aces in the second and sixth games.
I’ve seen four aces served in succession many times, but never twice in the same set.
That’s what Kyrgios is capable of producing – a booming first serve in the 220 to 225 kilometres-per-hour range, a heavy kicking second serve around 160- to 165 kilometres per hour and powerful ground strokes off both wings, with finesse at the net.
There isn’t a shot in any tennis manual that Kyrgios can’t play well. A lot of ATP regulars would kill to have those attributes, as Robredo found out with Kyrgios smoking 55 winners to 33.
But Kyrgios has a blind side, his inability to concentrate for long enough to beat the best on a regular basis.
Proof enough against Robredo with 45 unforced errors to just 14, that translated to converting just three of nine break points. Robredo converted four of six.
The blind side is up to his Australian coach Josh Eagle to fix, and Pat Rafter when he’s playing Davis Cup.
Australia meet Uzbekistan on the Cottesloe grass in Perth on Septemer 12 to 14 to stay in the World Group, and Kyrgios, Groth and Matosevic must be in the side.
Bernard Tomic has a hip injury, and it’s time to forget him with the talent available. No doubt Rafter will want Lleyton Hewitt on board, who will work wonders with the trio.
I had never seen the 26-year-old Groth play until he turned up for his Arthur Ashe Stadium debut against five-time US Open champion Roger Federer.
Groth went down 6-4, 6-,4 6-4, but proved he has what it takes to compete. His fastest serve has been clocked at 263 kilometres per hour, and he showed Federer what he has in his locker on the Ashe surface with a few 236 kilometre-per-hour numbers.
For someone who had never been on such a big stage, Groth struck 37 winners to Federer’s 36, and made 30 unforced errors to 21.
Groth led the world’s slam record-holder 4-2 in the third set until he realised what lofty heights he had reached to lose the next four games, and the match.
But he was very impressive, and he can only get better and more consistent, once he plays more elite opponents. Built more like a rugby prop, Groth is very much part of Australia’s tennis future.
Matosevic has talent too, no doubt about that. But until he loses his time-bomb temper, he will never reach the heights his talent demands.
He went down 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 to Federer in the first round, but the Australian pounded down quite a few first serves around 200 kilometres per hour that kept Federer busy.
And he behaved himself, adding humour to a tense moment when he bombed another forehand by turning to the stand behind him and pointing to basketball legend Michael Jordan, calling “I just want to be like Mike”, taking off the Nike ad that features the American.
More of something similar will loosen Matosevic up and he’ll be a better player for the change.
This is Australia’s tennis future, and it’s bright – Nick Kyrgios, Sam Groth and Marinko Matosevic. The big three, all 193-centimetre tall timbers with booming serves.
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