Nick’s state of play
NICK Kyrgios has started the airlift of star players into the Brisbane International, flying into town from Argentina for a short series of practice sessions before Christmas.
Kyrgios, who is making his Brisbane main draw debut this summer, was at the Queensland Tennis Centre with girlfriend Ajla Tomljanovic yesterday and will practise this morning. Dual Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, the third seed for the Brisbane tournament which starts on Sunday week, is expected to be settled at an Australian training location before Christmas.
Kyrgios trained extensively in Melbourne earlier this month, including a four-day camp with Australian Davis Cup teammates before his trip to Argentina last week to play an exhibition against Juan Martin del Potro.
While some tennis traditionalists are turned off by his on-court excesses, Canberra’s world No.21 would meet with strong support in his Brisbane debut, tournament Cameron Pearson predicted.
“He has a lot of flair and people do want to see that on court,’’ Pearson said.
“The people in Brisbane got behind him and the Australian team when he played so well in Davis Cup here (against the US in April). Nick has said he loves that support.’’
Tennis Australia Performance Director Wally Masur said Kyrgios, who will be seeded fourth, was laying the training base for a good Australian Open, where he has not made the second week since 2015.
Masur said Bernard Tomic had been offered the chance to join in the Davis Cup team’s training, but declined.
“I understand Bernard has been training on the Gold Coast,’’ he said.
Pearson says he has no information to suggest Tomic is not pressing on with playing qualifying for Brisbane.