Kyrgios hopeful despite scare

NICK KYRGIOS insists his withdrawal from the Aegon Championships will not stop him playing at Wimbledon.

Kyrgios was forced to retire from the grass-court tournament at Queen’s yesterday after a nasty fall in his opening match against American Donald Young aggravated a recurring hip injury.

Britain’s Kyle Edmund also made a disappointing start to his grass-court season as the 22-year-old endured a shock defeat to Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov.

Shapovalov was defaulted from his previous Davis Cup meeting with Edmund in February after lashing a ball into the eye of umpire Arnaud Gabas, but this time prevailed 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-4.

Kyrgios’ departure, however, coming after he lost the first-set tie-break 7-3, could have implications for Wimbledon given the Australian’s ongoing problems with his left hip and with the next grand slam fast approaching.

Asked if he was optimistic of playing at the All England Club in less than a fortnight, Kyrgios said: “Yeah, of course.

“Yeah 100 per cent. I mean I’d play Wimbledon if I was injured pretty bad anyway.”

The score was 4-4, 15-0 to Young when Kyrgios slipped on the baseline and while a medical time-out enabled him temporarily to continue, he pulled out at the end of the set.

Edmund is ranked 146 places above the 18-yearold Shapovalov but his opponent showed why many have him down as a potential star of the future.

“He just played aggressively,” Edmund said. “It’s my first match on grass after coming off the clay so you don’t expect to play your best tennis first match and that was the case today.”

Earlier, fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bounced back from his first-round loss at the French Open last month by cruising past compatriot Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 6-2. Tsonga is due to meet Murray in the quarter-finals.

Sixth seed Grigor Dimitrov is also safely through after he beat Ryan Harrison 6-3, 6-1.