Nick Kyrgios loses his cool and the match in California

Nick Kyrgios came crashing back to reality as he suffered a fiery fall from grace while losing his temper at the same time.

Nick Kyrgios lost his temper.

Fresh from a wild week in Mexico where he decimated top 10 opponents en route to winning his fifth ATP title, Nick Kyrgios has come crashing back down to earth in California.

The Aussie tennis star lost his cool — and also some items of clothing — as he was humbled by Philipp Kohlschreiber in their clash at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

The 23-year-old lost the first set 6-4 as things started to kick off — literally. A frustrated Kyrgios threw his shoes into the crowd during the break between sets after already doing a fine demolition job on his racquet.

After spending time at Acapulco arguing with the crowd there were similar signs today as fans didn’t respond so positively to his racquet smash.

(🎥@TennisTV ) pic.twitter.com/MODEDSHWM5

— doublefault28 (@doublefault28) March 9, 2019

Hope they come with shoe deodorant 👟#BNPPO19 pic.twitter.com/AID3DHw3Y8

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 9, 2019

Kyrgios then went down a break in the second set as his German rival took a 4-2 lead and closed in on taking the match.

Kyrgios hammered down four aces in a quickfire service game late in the set but Kohlschreiber held firm on his own serve to advance to the third round with a 6-4 6-4 victory.

A quarter-finalist at Indian Wells last year, the World No. 39 made just 12 unforced errors in a no-fuss performance that ruined fans’ hopes of watching a mouth-watering match-up between Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic in the next round.

Although a defeat to Kohlschreiber would be seen by most as an upset, Sports Illustrated tennis writer Jon Wertheim pointed towards Kyrgios’s inconsistency as to why the result isn’t actually a great shock.

A result that is, at once, surprising and not surprising at all....Kyrgios down a set and a break #BNPP019

— Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) March 9, 2019

The up and down tennis life of Nick Kyrgios continues. Out in his opening round at Indian Wells 6-4, 6-4 to Phillip Kohlschreiber after setting the tennis world alight in Mexico. There will be no Djokovic-Kyrgios rematch in Indian Wells

— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) March 10, 2019

Although Kyrgios was at his mercurial best during his giant-killing run in Mexico that saw him topple Rafael Nadal, John Isner, Stan Wawrinka and Alexander Zverev, repeating the dose was always going to be a tough ask for the Canberra product.

Regularly talked about as someone with more than enough talent to win grand slams, tennis legend Jim Courier said last week Kyrgios needs to improve his fitness if he wants to stand a chance at mixing it with the best and going deep into the second week of majors.

“If we expect this guy to win majors now, I think that’s a bridge too far unless he addresses the physical gap between him and the other guys,” four-time grand slam champion Courier said on the Tennis Channel.

“From a talent, shot-making show point, he showed there is no gap there, because that was a tough draw he went through.”

Kyrgios has a 6-6 combined record against Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Nadal — a statistic that does not surprise Courier.

“Those are pressure-free matches for him. He has that first strike ability to take the racquet out of their hands with his serve and then he can shock-absorb with his backhand,” Courier said.

“He’s dangerous but he’s also dangerous to himself at times in the matches on outside court when he goes walkabout like an Aussie can.”

The 23-year-old Kyrgios jumped to 33rd in the world with his Acapulco win but he was unable to give his ranking a further boost at Indian Wells.

With AAP

Originally published as Nick Kyrgios loses his cool and the match in California