Kyrgios facing ban for outburst

NICK Kyrgios has copped a heavy fine and faces a possible suspension for verbally abusing the chair umpire during his second-round defeat to Karen Khachanov at the Cincinnati Masters.

Kyrgios has been fined by the ATP for eight offences, totalling $167,000.

The 24-year-old Australian won the opening set against his Russian opponent, despite foot and ankle issues, before unleashing a profanity-laced tirade at Irish umpire Fergus Murphy, throwing his towel over a camera and forcing broadcasters of the US event to switch to an overhead view.

Kyrgios took umbrage with Murphy over his monitoring of the shot clock and berated the Irishman for most of the match. He became obsessed with the issue, repeatedly calling Murphy a “potato” and labelling him a “disgrace” and the “worst ref in the world”.

After asking for a toilet break, Kyrgios took two racquets with him and smashed them in the players’ tunnel before returning to the court.

After a double-fault handed Khachanov the match 7-6, 6-7, 2-6 and the players shook hands, Kyrgios told Murphy “you’re a f---ing tool bro” and seemed to spit in the direction of the umpire before shunning the traditional handshake.

“The ATP is looking further into what happened ... to see if additional action is warranted,” the game’s governing body said in a statement yesterday.

Meanwhile, seven-time champion Roger Federer was ousted from one of his favourite tournaments in barely over an hour, falling in straight sets to a 21-year-old qualifier he’d never faced.

Andre Rublev took advantage of Federer’s numerous mistakes for a 6-3, 6-4 victory that further depleted the top of the men’s bracket.

It was over shockingly fast — Federer’s quickest defeat on the tour since 2003.

And Aussie Alex de Minaur also bowed out of the Ohio event, losing 7-5, 6-4 to Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka. TOP seed Ashleigh Barty rallied from a set down to edge Estonian Anett Kontaveit and book her place in the quarters of the Cincinnati Masters.

The Australian clinched a battling 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory with a deep forehand winner after fighting off match point.

She will play Greece’s Maria Sakkari after she dispatched Aryna Sabalenka.