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TENNIS-AUS-OPEN-KYRGIOS
Fear drives ‘old savvy veteran’ Kyrgios to ignite Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Feb 11, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Polarising Nick Kyrgios says fear of
media criticism drove him to victory in an epic five-set thriller that lit up
the Australian Open, while being an “old savvy veteran” also helped.
The volatile Australian had a raucous crowd willing him to a stirring 5-7,
6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 victory over impressive young Frenchman Ugo Humbert
at his favourite John Cain Arena in a Wednesday night match.
Along the way, Kyrgios smashed a racquet, delivered underarm serves, played
‘tweener’ shots through his own legs, ranted at the umpire and saved two
match points.
It finally woke up the pandemic-hit tournament on its third night after it
had been bereft of its usual buzz, with crowds barely a quarter of their
usual numbers because of Covid restrictions and a three-week delay.
Kyrgios, whose on-court antics divide tennis fans, said he was driven by
not wanting to deal with the media negativity that would inevitably have
followed if he lost in the second round.
“Well the media doesn’t hold back on me. I felt like there was a lot of
expectation on me, not playing for a year and coming back,” he said ahead of
a blockbuster third-round clash with world number three Dominic Thiem on
Friday.
“You know, I wasn’t expecting too much of myself, but of course when I’m
match point down second-round exit, I was almost afraid.
“I was afraid to come into this (press conference) room, go to my Airbnb
and just read about it and take it all in, take all the negativity in that I
have already taken.
“That’s what I was thinking about. I was just, like, my back’s up against
the wall and I just — I don’t know. I don’t know how I got out of it.
“It was insane. I don’t know how I would have reacted to negativity this
year.”
Known for his flamboyant persona and spectacular on-court tantrums, Kyrgios
has long been a provocative figure, racking up a string of fines and bans.
He is often lamented in the media as a loud mouth and wasted talent, but he
has a big fanbase with 1.5 million Instagram followers and hundreds of
thousands on Twitter.
– Ear-splitting support –
“Many people don’t think that I have a heart or compete as hard as they
want me to compete from time to time,” said the 25-year-old.
“(But) I have been through a lot … I put in a lot of hard work when I was
young. I’ve gone through a lot, and nothing’s really been handed to me.
“I’ve won all the matches on my own. I don’t have a coach. I do everything
basically on my own, and I always got myself. I always got my back.”
Humbert reached match point serving at 5-4 in the fourth set, but with
Kyrgios receiving ear-splitting support, the Australian somehow saved it and
another before winning a tiebreak to take a pulsating encounter the full
distance.
“There was a moment in the fourth where I broke back, I was like, ‘Dude,
this could be one of the most memorable matches of your career and you owe it
to yourself’,” Krygios said.
“I put myself in a position to have moments like this.”
Ultimately, Kyrgios’s big-match experience rescued him again, helped in no
small measure by the roaring flag-waving faithful on John Cain Arena who have
down the years witnessed some of the most memorable moments of their hero’s
career.
“I have been in so many big matches, and on that court in particular, two
sets to love down, winning,” he said.
“I’ve just been through so much on the court, I just felt like I was an old
savvy veteran who had experience over him.”
BSS/AFP/FI/ 0915 hrs