Brisbane International: Nick Kyrgios dumped out by Jeremy Chardy
Nick Kyrgios looks set to go into the Australian Open unseeded after a second round defeat at the Brisbane International but the fiery star is unphased by the set back.
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Update: Nick Kyrgios claims he “could not care less” that he will not be seeded at this year’s Australian Open, after his Brisbane International title defence came crashing down.
The 2018 Brisbane champion suffered a costly second round loss to Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, falling 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-3 on Pat Rafter Arena.
Not only did the defeat end his chances of back-to-back titles in Queensland, but it also means Kyrgios is set to drop 17 places from world No.35 to outside the top 50, ending his chances of a seeding at the first Grand Slam tournament of the year.
But Kyrgios said he was not fazed by his slide in the rankings, backing himself to perform against any opponent at the Australian Open despite his rusty start to 2019.
“I honestly could not care less,” Kyrgios said when asked if not having a seeding was a concern.
“I feel like no matter who I play, I’ve got a fair shot if I play the right style of tennis and I’m feeling good.
“But at this age I’m not even thinking about it. I’m just going to go do everything I usually do, just go practice and when the time comes, I’ll play a match.
“No matter who I draw, I’ll play and that’s just what it is.”
This is the first time Kyrgios has fallen outside of the top 50 since January 2015.
Despite his easy-going manner after yesterday’s loss, the 23-year-old was visibly frustrated on the court after setting an impressive standard in the first set.
Things started to fall apart for Kyrgios midway through the second set, when Chardy broke serve for the first time to lead 4-2.
Despite efforts to calm himself down, Kyrgios appeared to battle from this point on and was seen at various moments venting towards his players’ box and talking to himself in between games.
Ahead of this year’s Brisbane International, Kyrgios indicated he had not practised at all over his pre-season and was entering into the tournament “rusty”, while a spider bite to his foot on Christmas Eve also interrupted his preparations.
However, Kyrgios said on Wednesday he had no regrets over his relaxed pre-season, despite admitting he came into the tournament underdone.
“It just fell down for me in the off season when I didn’t really hit much,” Kyrgios said.
“It’s tough to come back and play this level of tennis ... Every time I have a rally it feels foreign, and I don’t really know what I’m doing.
“But, yeah, I’m serving well. That’s a positive. And to go three sets with a guy, Jeremy, barely practising in the off season, I take as a positive.
“Now I gotta get to the practice court, hit a lot of balls and move into the Australian Open. That’s what I gotta do.
“I had an unbelievable pre-season. I loved every bit of it being home and being away from the sport. I loved it.”
Kyrgios did receive some treatment to his right knee after the first set but it did not appear to bother him again throughout the match and he then had his right wrist wrapped in ice afterwards, but has backed himself to play in the Fast4 tournament in Sydney next week.
Chardy meanwhile now moves into a quarter-final showdown with Japanese qualifier, Yasutaka Uchiyama, who upset third seed Kyle Edmund 7-6 (8-6), 6-4.
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Originally published as Brisbane International: Nick Kyrgios dumped out by Jeremy Chardy
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