It didn’t take long – actually just two games – but Nick Kyrgios was back on his stinging best at John Cain Arena at the Australian Open on Monday night. [AEDT].
In a 0-2 half-time break in the first set against Portuguese Frederico Ferreira Silva, Kyrgios turned his attention to his player’s box and exclaimed loudly, “Tell your girlfriend to get out of my box!”
It is unclear who exactly he was referring to, but it was the catalyst for a quick turnaround in fate; Kyrgios quickly broke back and leveled the game at 2-2 and then muttered under his breath: “Do you wonder why?”
“Tell your girlfriend to get out of my box!” 😂
Add another classic Nick Kyrgios moment to the list. 🗒
LOOK: @ Channel9
STREAM: https://t.co/ykPpc0k2wf# 9WWOS #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/ul2PWBlaFQ– Wide World of Sports (@wwos) 8 February 2021
From there, the Australian was well on his way to a 5-4 lead in the set before stopping the proceedings again, and this time a member of the crowd complained about being between the first and second serve of his opponent spoke.
“Be quiet brother, respect the child,” Kyrgios said.
He approached the chair referee after the match and asked him loudly if he was going to do anything about it.
Kyrgios took the first set 6-4 and was rarely upset for the rest of his encounter, sometimes giving himself advice and at one point asking his opponent for an unused towel while changing the points.
Kyrgios ended the match 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, but said he had not played his best tennis for a long time.
“Honestly, it was pretty average. I hadn’t played a Grand Slam game in over a year. I was nervous,” he said after the victory in court.
“(But) it was special; I appreciate it [the crowd for] come out. It was a strange year, and we all overcame it together to make it possible. It felt normal, to be honest, it was good to see [the crowd was] go nuts “
Kyrgios gets Frenchman Ugo Humbert in the second round.