Australia’s No.1 player, Nick Kyrgios, will have to be on his toes when he squares off against the talented but inconsistent Viktor Troicki in the second round of the 2017 Australian Open. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 6:45pm (AEDT).
As expected, Kyrgios cruised through the first round, despite not playing his best tennis, but will need to improve against Troicki.
Kyrgios comprehensively defeated the Serb in straight sets last year at the Masters 1000 tournament in Canada and at his best should progress into the third round.
However, Troicki remains one of the more dangerous unseeded players on the tour. He possesses a good serve and has power behind his groundstrokes.
The problem with Troicki, however, has always been his mental application. He can get frustrated when things do not go his way, and is known for letting umpires know what he thinks of certain calls that are not ruled in his favour.
Regardless, Troicki’s record at grand slam level in recent years is not too bad. He regularly makes the fourth round of Wimbledon and the French Open, and consistently makes the third round at the US and Australian Opens.
Indeed, Troicki has made the third round for three successive years Down Under, meaning Kyrgios will have to defy a bit of history to get through.
Prediction
Kyrgios is always at his most vulnerable when he is expected to win well, so if Troicki manages to nab a set or two, the Australian will be in trouble.
At his best, Kyrgios should get the job done in straight sets. His talent, x-factor and power overwhelms the majority of players, and it should be enough to see off Troicki – provided the Australian’s mind is on the job.
Kyrgios in four sets.
Alan
Roar Guru
Kyrgios is through to a third round blockbuster against Tsonga after defeating Troicki in straight sets tonight. The Serb pushed Kyrgios all the way in the third set but the Australian had the answers in the tiebreak, playing clutch tennis to get past a tricky opponent. Kyrgios will have to elevate his game even further now as he faces the talented Tsonga who earlier prevailed against rising star Shapovalov. What a match to look forward to in two days time! Kyrgios 7 6 7 Troicki 5 4 6
Alan
Roar Guru
GAME SET AND MATCH KYRGIOS Kyrgios 7 6 7 Troicki 5 4 6
Alan
Roar Guru
Troicki with another outstanding backhand volley on the stretch. 6-2 Kyrgios 7 6 6 Troicki 5 4 6
Alan
Roar Guru
6-1 Kyrgios. Five match points! Kyrgios 7 6 6 Troicki 5 4 6
Alan
Roar Guru
Great wide serve and its 5-1 Kyrgios Kyrgios 7 6 6 Troicki 5 4 6
Alan
Roar Guru
Troicki nets the backhand after doing well to stay in the point. 4-1 Kyrgios Kyrgios 7 6 6 Troicki 5 4 6
Alan
Roar Guru
Troicki misses the line with the backhand. 3-1 Kyrgios Kyrgios 7 6 6 Troicki 5 4 6
Alan
Roar Guru
Kyrgios with the whipping forehand winner down the line on such a big point! Wow. 2-1 Kyrgios Kyrgios 7 6 6 Troicki 5 4 6
Alan
Roar Guru
1-1 as Kyrgios hits an unforced error Kyrgios 7 6 6 Troicki 5 4 6
Alan
Roar Guru
1-0 Kyrgios Kyrgios 7 6 6 Troicki 5 4 6
Alan
Roar Guru
Kyrgios holds despite Troicki asking some questions. Tiebreak time though. Kyrgios 7 6 6 Troicki 5 4 6
Alan
Roar Guru
Deuce Kyrgios 7 6 5 Troicki 5 4 6
Alan
Roar Guru
Kyrgios has to hold now to force a tiebreak. 30-0 courtesy of good serving. He could have used those two serves in his previous service game. Kyrgios 7 6 5 Troicki 5 4 6
Alan
Roar Guru
The danger for Kyrgios here concerns the fact that the longer this match stays close, the more frustrated he tends to get. And that leads to more errors from his racquet. Troicki is playing clutch tennis now and his volley allows him to hold and take the lead in the third set! Kyrgios 7 6 5 Troicki 5 4 6
Alan
Roar Guru
15 all Kyrgios 7 6 5 Troicki 5 4 5
Alan
Roar Guru
Big moment there. Kyrgios has failed to serve out the match when he has looked dominant all night. Surely history won't repeat like last year...surely.... Kyrgios 7 6 5 Troicki 5 4 5
Alan
Roar Guru
BREAK TROICKI Kyrgios 7 6 5 Troicki 5 4 5
Alan
Roar Guru
Troicki with break points here. The Serb switched on now and he is returning well, applying pressure. Kyrgios 7 6 5 Troicki 5 4 4
Alan
Roar Guru
30-30 Kyrgios 7 6 5 Troicki 5 4 4
Alan
Roar Guru
Ace down the tee for 30-15. Kyrgios 7 6 5 Troicki 5 4 4