Kyrgios: I’m not dedicated to the game at all
NEW YORK: Playing basketball, eating ice creams and drinking milk shakes during tennis tournaments.
Nick Kyrgios admitted he had not been dedicated in his roller coaster of a career after being dumped out of the US Open in the first round on Wednesday.
The mercurial 22-year-old, one of the most gifted players on the tour, lost 6-3 1-6 6-4 6-1 against fellow Australian John Millman after hurting his right shoulder.
The 14th seed had treatment at the beginning of the third set after levelling at 1-1, but Kyrgios gradually appeared to lose interest in the match.
The 22-year-old received a warning for allegedly cursing and broke his racket as he produced a string of unforced errors at Louis Armstrong Stadium in front of his coach, Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean.
“I’m not good enough for him. You know, he’s very dedicated. He’s an unbelievable coach,” Kyrgios told a news conference that turned into a self-battering session.
“He probably deserves a player that is probably more dedicated to the game than I am. He deserves a better athlete than me.”
Although he said he was focused on the US Open, Kyrgios said he had not always been dedicated, citing his behaviour at the Cincinnati Open, where he reached the final.
“I was probably less dedicated than I was this week. I was playing basketball at Lifetime Fitness every day for two hours. Like I played an hour of basketball before I played David Ferrer in the semi-final,” he said.
“I was going to (eat) ice cream, like this Graeter’s place getting a milk shake every day. I was less dedicated.”
Kyrgios added he did not know if he would continue with Grosjean, explaining he was not a player who could be trusted.
“I keep letting people down,” he said.
“I’m not dedicated to the game at all. There are players out there that are more dedicated, that want to get better, that strive to get better every day, the one-percenters. I’m not that guy.”
Nothing that really depresses Kyrgios, though.
“It’s not the end of the world. I will get over it in probably half an hour. I will get food and watch the matches. It is what it is,” he said.
There is one thing, however, that Kyrgios manages to get seriously involved in: the Davis Cup.
“I have put a lot of effort into Davis Cup this year. I obviously made myself available for every tie,” he said.
“You know, really bought in, really gave everything, we are doing so well. It is my goal to win the Davis Cup, so we’ll see.”
Australia take on Belgium in Brussels from 15-17 September.
“Well, I’ve got time up my sleeve now,” said Kyrgio
Meanwhile, Canadian Denis Shapovalov appeared older than his 18 years at the US Open on Wednesday, staying poised to beat eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4 6-4 7-6(3) and advancing to the third round.
Shapovalov, who had to qualify for the main draw, rose his hands in triumph after the television review showed that Tsonga’s final shot had sailed past the baseline.
“It’s a dream come true for me,” he said during an on court interview. “I’ve always dreamed of playing a night match on Arthur Ashe.”
Shapovalov had got off to a good start breaking the 32-yearold Tsonga to love in the opening game and the only sign of nerves came in the third set when he was broken while serving for the match before he rebounded in the tie-break.
“Serving for the third set I got a little bit tight, stopped moving my feet on a couple shots, sailed some forehands,” he said. “I just stayed calm and just waited for my next chance and took it.”
The lefthander faces Britain’s Kyle Edmund, who defeated American Steve Johnson, in the next round. – Reuters