A top coach can elevate Aussie Nick to next level
Nick kyrgios could be found in the early hours of yesterday morning in renowned night spot Mahiki, mingling with revellers and putting the disappointment of his Wimbledon loss to Andy Murray behind him.
clearly the sting of defeat, so evident in a post-match news conference when he struggled to contain his emotions, had dissipated sufficiently for him to feel up for a visit to the West End.
Before anyone gets too scandalised by this, he is heading into a mid-summer break and would not be the first Wimbledon player to let their hair down in the wake of their tournament exit.
The more pressing question for kyrgios, 21, is where he goes from here as one of the game’s biggest young talents — evident in his first-set display. And as the men’s event whittles down to its last eight, the wider debate is when the ‘Nextgen’, as promoted by the ATP Tour, will start to make a serious impact on the business end of grand slam events.
in the case of the generation’s highest-profile member, a number of sage observers were left exasperated by him going AWoL in the second set against Murray.
Even the scot may have been among them. According to one courtside witness he was heard to mutter ‘Try harder!’ in the second set, although knowing him it could have been a self-admonishment.
Brad gilbert admits that frustration got the better of him after seeing the start of kyrgios’ decline on Monday.
gilbert, the coach who coaxed Andre Agassi from 141 in the world back to No 1, cites advantage Murray at 1-1 in the second set as the moment the Australian checked out.
‘He had a point to get back to deuce and he hit this sort of tanky squash-shot, a forehand slice into the net when the line was wide open. i just took off the headset and chucked it on the desk,’ said gilbert.
‘it was a crazy shot and he went away after that. i’d like to show it back to him and ask “What were you thinking?”.’
gilbert is certain that kyrgios has to employ a top-line coach if he is to fulfil his ability.
‘He is a talent but he can’t do it by himself,’ said gilbert. ‘you are trying to compete with Murray, roger Federer, Novak Djokovic — you are talking about professional guys with teams around them.
‘He needs a coach who says: “We are going to go through the video and look at your decision making”. Then show him a tape of how a Murray or Djokovic compete when they are down. But ultimately it is about accountability and responsibility and much of that comes from within.’
kyrgios is not the only one battling to make an impression. Dominic Thiem made it to the French open semi-finals, but the only youthful interloper at Wimbledon is Lucas Pouille, 22.
Pouille, who today faces Tomas Berdych and could be Murray’s semi-final opponent, was ranked No 82 in April but enjoyed a stroke of fortune at the italian open in May. He lost in the final qualifying round but then gained a lastminute place in the main draw when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga pulled out. From there he went on to make the semi-finals.
Teenagers Alex Zverev and Taylor Fritz have shown enough here to suggest their names are worth noting.
Whether kyrgios, gifted and a more attractive personality than he often shows, emerges as leader of the new generation will depend on what questions he asks himself. Basically, whether he wants it enough.