Injury behind Kyrgios defeat
NICK Kyrgios has swatted away suggestions by Germany that he succumbed to pressure – not injury – in Australia’s 3-1 Davis Cup first round loss in Brisbane.
Kyrgios was frustrated by an elbow complaint, copping a point penalty for racquet abuse before crashing in straight sets to world No.5 Alex Zverev to seal the upset tie victory for the visitors on Sunday.
But Germany team captain Michael Kohlmann suggested world No.14 Kyrgios’ concerns were more mental than physical after the 6-2 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 loss at Pat Rafter Arena.
Asked if he thought Kyrgios had been affected by expectation to win at home, Kohlmann said: “Of course.
“If you go into a match knowing you had to win otherwise your team loses it is something for sure you are thinking about – 100 per cent.”
Australia had to win both reverse singles on Sunday to qualify for April’s quarter-finals after Matthew Ebden and John Peers lost the doubles rubber in five sets to Jan-Lennard Struff and Tim Puetz.
However, Kyrgios denied he was feeling any pressure after the doubles loss - just discomfort in his elbow.
“Not really. They left it all out there,” he said of Peers and Ebden.
“They didn’t play the best match they could have played but they still fought, but came up short – I wasn’t thinking about that at all.”
Australia team captain Lleyton Hewitt said the injury – not the must win situation – had made it hard for Kyrgios to focus.
“It’s not easy, to try and block that out and try and focus on your end of the court,” he said of Kyrgios’ injury. “Once you are looking elsewhere it becomes a tougher battle than the one on one battle.”
Kohlmann was relieved Australia did not play Kyrgios in the doubles - the rubber he pinpointed as crucial to the tie.
Kyrgios was not considered due to the elbow injury he suffered in his opening straight sets singles win over Struff.
Hewitt claimed Kyrgios remained a future doubles option for Australia - but admitted it was easier said than done.
“It’s an option, it all depends on how his body is,” he said.
“We can’t always bank on Nick going out there and playing three matches.
“You have to work out the best possible way of getting those three wins, in this case (against Germany) it was him not playing doubles.”
Kyrgios has played just one doubles rubber for Australia and lost.