Kyrgios hopes team spirit can help overcome Seppi loss

MELBOURNE: Nick Kyrgios struggled to deal with the furore over his shock second round meltdown at the Australian Open but said the return to a team environment with Davis Cup had helped him through it.

The local hope was jeered off the court by sections of the crowd after squandering a two- set lead and throwing a tantrum in the 16 6-7(1) 6- 4 6-2 10- 8 loss to Italian Andreas Seppi on Jan. 18.

Former world number one John McEnroe then questioned his commitment to the sport, while local media pilloried him the following day with one headline telling him to “Nick Off” — an Australian slang term meaning to leave.

“I was obviously struggling, mentally it was tough,” the world number 15 said on Tuesday, ahead of Australia’s Davis Cup tie with the Czech Republic at Kooyong this weekend.

“But I’ve had a lot of support and obviously Rusty (Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt) has been helping me though it.

“I think this week is crucial for me to bounce back and go out to try to enjoy it again and I feel good.”

Several former players have suggested that Kyrgios needed to employ a coach fulltime to help him mentally, something the 21year- old said he was considering after the Seppi defeat.

He now had some potential candidates in mind but they needed to be the “right person”. —