Ump primes pump in rally by Kyrgios
NEW YORK — Nick Kyrgios was losing big at the U.S. Open on Thursday — and barely even trying.
The crowd began booing. The chair umpire, Mohamed Lahyani, decided to intervene. In an unusual sight, Lahyani clambered down out of his seat during a break between games, leaned over with hands on knees, and spoke with the 30th-seeded Kyrgios, saying, among other things, “I want to help you.”
It all seemed like an impromptu intervention for the mercurial Kyrgios, right out there on Court 17 at Flushing Meadows, and it raised questions about whether Lahyani overstepped his duties. Kyrgios went from trailing by a set and a break at the time to taking control of the match — setting up a third-round match against Roger Federer — by coming back to beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-0.
“This was not his job,” Herbert said about Lahyani, whom he thinks should be sanctioned. “I don’t think he’s a coach, he’s an umpire, and he should stay on his chair.”
The U.S. Open’s referee and chief umpire were reviewing what happened, as was the Grand Slam Board.
“He said he liked me. I’m not sure if that was encouragement. He just said that it’s not a good look,” Kyrgios said about his chat with Lahyani.
Kyrgios, a 23-year-old Australian, has run into trouble in the past for not giving his all during matches, even drawing a fine and suspension from the ATP tour in 2016.
As Herbert put it: “Just sometimes he’s mentally not here.”
After reaching the third round by defeating Benoit Paire 7-5, 6-4, 6-4, Federer criticized Lahyani for going to talk to Kyrgios for as long as he did.
“I don’t know what he said. I don’t care what he said. ... Go back up to the chair. He was there for too long. It’s a conversation. Conversations can change your mindset,” Federer said. “That’s why it won’t happen again. I think everybody knows that.”