Kyrgios courts more controversy with outburst and code violation
Where Nick Kyrgios treads, controversy seems sure to follow. The 20-year-old Australian beat Andreas HaiderMaurer 6-3, 6-2 here yesterday on his debut at the Shanghai Rolex Masters, but not before being given a code violation for an audible obscenity and expressing his frustrations overatalkative cameraman and inexperienced ballkids during his first-round victory.
Kyrgios, who is under the threat of a suspended 28-day ban following his sledging of Stan Wawrinka this summer, swore in anger after slipping on the second show court here at the Qi Zhong Tennis Centre. The world No 32 will be banned for 28 days from any event sanctioned by the Association of Tennis Professionals if he incurs any fines for verbal or physical abuse, or accumulates fines totalling more than $5,000 (£3,250) for any offences at ATP tournaments between now and next February. Details of any fine here are expected to be announced today.
The Australian’s mood was not helped by ballkids he later described as “amateur” and by a cameraman who kept talking during points before being told by the umpire to leave the court. When Bernard Tomic arrived to watch the second set Kyrgios told his friend and fellow countryman: “Mate, it’s an absolute circus.”
Kyrgios admitted later that more experienced players dealt with similar situations better than he had, but added: “You’re not going to see Roger [Federer] or Rafa [Nadal] or any of those guys playing on a court like that, though. They’re always playing on centre court, where things usually go pretty smoothly. They’re not going to have the cameraman talking in the middle of the point on centre court. Definitely those guys are more mature. They definitely deal with it a bit better than I do at this stage.”
As for the threat of a suspension, Kyrgios said: “I’m not thinking about it too much. I know it’s there. But I’m still showing a lot of emotion. I feel as if it’s helped me a little bit, everything that’s happened in the last couple of months. I’ve definitely picked up my act.”
Kyrgios, who now plays Kei Nishikori, has reached the semi-finals in Kuala Lumpur and the quarter-finals in Tokyo in his last two tournaments. He has done so without a regular coach, as he has yet to replace Todd Larkham, with whom he parted company before Wimbledon. “I know what I need to get better,” Kyrgios said. “I don’t think a coach is necessary right now.”
Andy Mu r r ay, who reclaimed the No 2 position from Federer in yesterday’s updated world rankings list, will face Steve Johnson, of the United States, in his opening match tomorrow. Johnson, who has never played Murray, beat Andreas Seppi 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 in the first round.
Britain’s Johanna Konta, who has climbed two more places to No 47 in the world rankings, suffered only her third defeat in her last 26 matches when she was beaten 6-2, 2-6, 4-6 by the Czech Republic’s Klara Koukalova in the final round of qualifying for the Linz Open in Austria.
Roger and Rafa are more mature and deal with it a bit better than I do. But I’ve picked up my act