Rival stars unexpectedly enjoy doubles pairing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – When looking for a doubles partner, Stefanos Tsitsipas generally seeks out someone he has chemistry with – a similar personality or complementary playing styles.
But Tsitsipas, a 20-year-old from Athens, Greece, and the No. 6-ranked player in the world, didn’t know what to expect before his first-round doubles match at the Citi Open with the talented but controversial Nick Kyrgios. Sure, he and Kyrgios have plenty in common with a racket in their hands: They are both 6-4 and have big serves and are fond of aggressive play.
It was the off-the-court arrangement that left Tsitsipas more unsure before his match.
“I guess character-wise,” Tsitsipas said, “different.”
That’s what made the pairing so interesting and rather unexpected.
Before joining forces for doubles, the duo had been mostly known for the occasional Twitter spat and thinly veiled criticism of the other’s demeanor. Kyrgios is generally known to display a devil-may-care attitude on and off the court, while Tsitsipas tends to be all business.
Tsitsipas is the tournament’s top seed in singles and drew a first-round bye, and Kyrgios, who is ranked No. 52 in the world and unseeded, played his first singles match Tuesday night. But in a match that could hardly be called either players’ main focus at the Citi Open, the pairing seemed to gain chemistry on the fly against Juan Sebastián
Cabal and Robert Farah, who just won the doubles event at Wimbledon and rank No. 1 in the world.
What came out of that pairing – besides the 6-3, 3-6, 10-5 loss to Farah and Cabal – was increased understanding of the other player. And, perhaps, the beginning of a routine doubles partnership.
“Very, very fun,” Tsitsipas said to 24year-old Kyrgios, who stood next to him at a post-match news conference. “I got to get to know you a little bit more.
“My opinion about you is still, I mean,
good. I really ...”
“He smells good as well,” Kyrgios jumped in, drawing laughs.
“I really enjoyed the company, the moments that we shared together,” Tsitsipas continued. “Lovely to play again together one day.”
“I’m down,” Kyrgios said.
In the buildup to Monday’s men’s doubles nightcap, Tsitsipas and Kyrgios, who was ranked as high as No. 13 in singles in 2016, got together for a practice session. Kyrgios expected a light workout.
Instead, Tsitsipas’ father put the duo through a session that lasted over an hour.
“I’m like, ‘Whoa, this is not me,’ ” Kyrgios said. “I was gasping out there.”
And in the first set against Farah and Cabal, the top seeds in the Citi Open, it appeared as if the Tsitsipas and Kyrgios partnership might be short-lived. The latter pair couldn’t return any of Farah’s first three serves, and the No. 1-ranked duo went on from there to secure a routine first-set victory.
Kyrgios, with a serve that touched 140 mph at times, helped turn the match.
The duo blasted nine aces overall and evened the match at one-set apiece, both raising their arms in excitement and pumping up the Stadium Court crowd after a rally that included a tweener from Kyrgios.
“The serve was brutal,” Tsitsipas said. “I wish I could serve like that. Like, this is unbelievable to see that in a human being.”
Kyrgios commended Tsitsipas plenty, too, after a match that offered each player a feel for the stadium surface before singles action begins. The Australian said Tsitsipas’ serve will come with time, but “he’s probably better in every aspect of the game.”
As Kyrgios reflected on when he met then-18-year-old Tsitsipas in the Boodles Challenge, he said he could tell Tsitsipas would be a star in the making. At 20, he’s already there.
“Hopefully he doesn’t make the same mistakes I have,” Kyrgios said. “Keeps his head down, and he can do some special things.”