US Open 2022: Nick Kyrgios beats best mate Thanasi Kokkinakis in nightmare first round
Nick Kyrgios described his US Open victory as a nightmare he hoped he never had to repeat. While more subdued than normal, the match was not without drama and a few f-bombs.
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It might have looked easy, but beating Thanasi Kokkinakis was “the most uncomfortable” Nick Kyrgios had ever been on a tennis court.
The 23rd seed found it so strange playing his doubles partner that he admitted he tried to avoid looking at him on the other side of the net during his emphatic first round victory at the US Open.
“That was the most uncomfortable I’ve ever felt on a tennis court,” Kyrgios said after the 6-3 6-4 7-6 win.
“I was really trying to not look at him at all, and I felt like that kind of helped me.”
“It was really uncomfortable. I don’t want to do that again, to be honest.”
Kokkinakis agreed, telling reporters he found it “hard to get pumped up”, especially as the energy on centre court “got sucked out a little bit” after the emotional tribute to retiring great Serena Williams before the match.
“It was definitely a bit awkward,” he said, although he laughed at his friend’s tactic of avoiding looking at him.
“I looked at his face a bit. I knew I was playing him,” Kokkinakis said.
He said the pair were excited to be reunited on the same side of the net for the doubles section of the tournament.
“We’re fine. Talking rubbish in the locker room already. Nick was sending me memes five minutes before the match,” Kokkinakis said.
“It’s just when you get out there, it’s hard to get pumped up. Obviously we competed, but it’s hard to have that same fire a little bit.”
“Almost felt like a bit of a practice match. Didn’t have the same sort of match intensity.”
Kyrgios said he was pleased he dealt with the awkward encounter “professionally” in what was his 200th win on tour.
“When I saw our names, it’s unfortunate. The way I’m playing, the goals I have, I felt like I had a good opportunity in this tournament,” he told reporters after the match.
“The first couple sets were pretty much flawless from me. Never easy. Obviously ‘Game Kokkinakis’, it’s like a reminder every time you’re playing a game. It’s not easy.”
“To play one of my probably best friends after Serena’s possible last match, with a record-breaking attendance, it’s insane. A night I’m never going to forget.”
Kyrgios reiterated that he was exhausted after more than three months on the road, although he said he was focusing on performing well while he was away from his ill parents in Canberra.
“I’m really proud of my performance. The maturity to just put all that aside. Yeah, I miss home a lot,” Kyrgios said.
“Just another challenge that I have to deal with. Last stop here before home, so let’s see what we can do here.”
Kokkinakis backed his close friend to go deep in the US Open, saying he was “playing with the most freedom I’ve ever seen from the back of the court”.
“He’s an incredible frontrunner. If he gets ahead, feels confident, it makes it really tough,” Kokkinakis said.
THE MATCH: FAST START LAUNCHES KYRGIOS INTO SECOND ROUND
Nick Kyrgios is through to the second round of the US Open but the bittersweet victory is one he hopes he never has to repeat.
Up against best mate and compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis, Kyrgios was hesitant to celebrate the 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(4) win.
He played phenomenal tennis in the opening two sets while the third could have gone either way, but Kyrgios was in no mood to take pleasure in the result.
“I thought I played a good couple of sets,” he said. “When we saw the draw it was a nightmare we never want to play each other.
“I have so much respect for him I can’t wait to play doubles with him on the right side of the net.
“We know each other’s games like the back of our hands, we have played together since we were nine.
“We will hopefully never play each other again. I’m happy to move forward.”
Kokkinakis was expecting his close friend Nick Kyrgios to bring “a bit of a circus” to the US Open’s centre court, but the 23rd seed was on his best behaviour … for the most part.
He cruised through the first set in half an hour, even breaking out an underarm serve that Kokkinakis managed to chase down to win the point, prompting laugher between the close friends.
He remained level headed for much of the match but no sooner had a tennis great applauded Kyrgios for letting his tennis do the talking and not his antics, the Aussie unleashed on his player’s box.
Three sets into his US Open round one clash, Kyrgios took aim at his girlfriend and trainers who, in his opinion, were not making enough noise or standing up on his points.
“Stand up on my points,” he yelled.
“It’s legal now, IT’S LEGAL,” he added referring to the fact a box could coach during the match for the first time at a slam.
While his team respected his wishes and became significantly more vocal, Todd Woodbridge urged for calm.
“Come on Nick, focus,” he said on Channel 9 commentary.
Woodbridge’s advice cam just half an hour after he had applauded Kyrgios for his composure.
No stranger to dropping f-bombs and abusing umpires, Kyrgios had been noticeably quiet against best mate Kokkinakis.
“What I’m loving is he always talks about putting on a good show, it (the show) used to be about the antics, now it’s about the racquet. The show is the racquet, it’s unbelievable,” Woodbridge said.
The match wrapped up in two hours, a boost for Kyrgios given he spoke repeatedly before the tournament about how exhausted he was after more than three months on the road.
And in further good news for Kyrgios, Spanish 16th seed Roberto Bautista Agut — his likely third round opponent — was knocked out on the first day of the tournament by American JJ Wolf.
He will meet Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi in the second round, who won a five-set battle against Ugo Humbert, giving Kyrgios a chance to progress to the third round of the US Open for the fifth time in his career.
He said Bonzi was a “very solid player”.
KYRGIOS WINS
KYRGIOS 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) KOKKINAKIS
Closing in on the two hour mark and this match has lost even more fizz, dare I say it I’m a little bored.
We go to a third set tie-break.
TIE-BREAK
Kyrgios 7-4 Kokkinakis
KYRGIOS 6-3, 6-4, 5-6 KOKKINAKIS
Must be tough to sit in the kyrgios player box – I wonder if there’s a manual.
The rules seem quite strict. Stand up more, sit down more, make more noise, STFU.
Now he’s kicking off they’re not noisy enough because coaching from the side is legal.
“It’s legal IT’S LEGAL,” he’s yelling.
Saddest part is he’s playing really goodtennis so he just needs to calm the eff down.
“Come on Nick, focus,” is about all Woodbridge can muster.
KYRGIOS 6-3, 6-4, 3-2 KOKKINAKIS
Momentum all going Nick’s way in the early stages of this game; he’s judging Kokkinakis service game way too easily and getting on top of the rallies fast and early.
But the pendulum swings.
A triple break point in the fifth game of the set, The first is saved and done very well by Kokkinakis, almost fell victim to a net clip but recovered well.
Second also saved but it was a poorly timed forehand return of serve from Nick and the third goes begging off an insanely good serve.
We go to deuce and it’s a massive opportunity lost.
First hint of frustration from nick and he’s asking the chair umpire to silence the crowd – seems people are yelling form the courtside seats.
A HUGE hold from Kokkinakis.
KYRGIOS 6-3, 6-4, 1-2 KOKKINAKIS
Jeez really feels like the graveyard slot not the blockbuster slot this clash.
Honestly thought the crowd would stay back after Serena and the hype would be enormous.
Not so, they’re almost mute.
Kyrgios to his credit doing very well without the raucous crowd he usually thrives off.
KYRGIOS 6-3, 6-4 KOKKINAKIS
Serving the second set out, Nick Kyrgios is in cruise control on Arthur Ashe stadium and has a solid lead after 66 minutes.
The atmosphere has changed somewhat in the last hour. After the hype of Serena and that tribute – which I remain adamant came a match too early – I was expecting more hype and a raucous crowd for this clash.
They’re very subdued.
KYRGIOS 6-3, 4-2 KOKKINAKIS
Is this the best shape Nick’s ever been in? Fitness wise he is looking to be on another level, it’s been noticeable for much of the year. His social media suggests he has been gym-bound more often but also he has played signiciantly more matches this year.
What is noticeable today – more than anything – is the fact he is being so well behaved.
No tanties as yet, just the one f-bomb that I’ve seen and no explosions directed at the umpire.
It’s 100% down to the fact he is playing against a mate and it’s a respect thing, but what does that say about when he does kick off?
Todd Woodbridge had this to say about it: “What I’m loving is he always talks about putting on a good show, it (the show) used to be about the antics, now it’s about the racquet. The show is the racquet, it’s unbelievable.”
KYRGIOS 6-3, 2-0 KOKKINAKIS
Kokkinakis struggling to find a rhythm in this match, looks nervous on serve and gifts a triple break point in the opening game of the second set.
Smart returns from Kyrgios, very decisive ground strokes and he’s forcing the errors, playing with a lot of patience.
He consolidates the break with a hold and is cruising – for now.
WRAPPED UP IN 30
KYRGIOS 6-3 KOKKINAKIS
Kyrgios telling his team to calm down their noise a little “I’ve got this” he appears to mouth at them There was definitely an f-bomb in there too.
So contrary to the Wimbledon final where they were just too damn quiet, they’re being too damn loud today.
Anyway, Kyrgios claims the first set 6-3 in just 30 minutes.
DOUBLE BREAKKYRGIOS 5-3 KOKKINAKIS
A banger of a forehand return from Kyrgios to increase his lead on Kokkinakis. Shortening his swing is paying off, a faster game but also a little more unpredictable.
Kokkinakis needs to mix things up a little, he is constantly playing to his opponent’s forehand and he is suffering the consequences.
Dragging Nick to the net is always a good move.
KYRGIOS 4-3 KOKKINAKIS
Great defensive play from Kokkinakis, really knows how to push Nick into uncomfortable positions. He’d know better than most in fact.
And an ace to boot to keep it level.
Both players serving well.
MASSIVE UPSETANOTHER BIG NAME OUT
Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was knocked out of the US Open in the first round, defeated by Colombian qualifier Daniel Elahi Galan on a dramatic ninth match point.
Galan, ranked 94 in the world, won 6-0, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 as Tsitsipas’s miserable record in New York continued with the Greek having never got past the third round.
Galan, making his main draw debut at the tournament, will face Australia’s Jordan Thompson for a place in the last 32.
KYRGIOS 2-1 KOKKINAKIS
We know he likes to play fast and that was a really speedy start from Kyrgios, holding comfortably to find his feet early doors. Even pulled off a cheeky underarm serve.
A fun quip between him and the coin toss official before this match started, reminding players that sideline coaching is permitted at this year’s US Open, Kyrgios said: Man, don’t worry, I don’t need a coach.”
THE ULTIMATE COMPLIMENT
Nick Kyrgios is used to the red carpet treatment but the Aussie superstar and compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis have been gifted an “unheard of” privilege for their US Open round one clash on Tuesday (AEST).
Opening your tournament on the main court – in this case Arthur Ashe stadium – is an honour usually reserved for the defending champion, homegrown heroes and the world No 1, at least in the early rounds.
Kyrgios on Arthur Ashe is a testament to just how much of a draw card he is, not only in New York, but globally.
“New York is a place that he loves – the atmosphere, the people. He’s such a big show that he’s opening the coverage on day one on Arthur Ashe Arena, with their main night match,” Todd Woodbridge said on Nine’s Today.
“Two Aussies opening up the US Open, that is unheard of.
“What is fascinating about this match is that it’s actually been Thanasi, I think, that has helped Nick get his form back going this season.
“Nick’s form has been sensational this season, as we know. He’s had a good run in the US, having won in Washington.
“You expect Nick to win between these two but it’s going to be a tough match with good mates, because Nick is going to have to control his emotions, and that’s always a challenge, as we know.”
WARDROBE MALFUNCTIONA hasty change of outfit worked wonders for Bianca Andreescu as she powered into the second round of the US Open on Monday.
The 22-year-old Canadian star, winner of the US Open crown in 2019, overcame Harmony Tan 6-0, 3-6, 6-1 to keep alive her dream of a second Grand Slam title.
However the victory was not without drama as a flustered Andreescu scrambled to change her clothing.
The former world number four arrived on court in a navy blue skirt, but with gusts of wind blowing her outfit around, she pleaded with the chair umpire to make a change.
“It’s not my fault, it’s Nike’s fault, this dress is so bad,” Andreescu could be heard complaining. “I need to go. This is so bad.” She quickly returned to the court wearing shorts and a white top and set about navigating her way past Tan, who made headlines in June when she beat Serena Williams at Wimbledon.
Andreescu later explained her change of outfit after securing victory. “It was just bothering me on some forehands. I just felt like it was kind of coming up a bit. Obviously the wind didn’t help,” she said.
She said she had pleaded with the umpire not to dock her a bathroom break — which he agreed to — and said she had not intended to criticise kit manufacturer Nike.
“He was very nice to say it was totally okay,” she said. “I could have definitely used a different choice of wording.
“So I apologise to anyone I disrespected. I love Nike and I hope I can be with them for the rest of my life.”
MASSIVE UPSETSIMONA HALEP OUSTED
Former world number one Simona Halep was knocked out of the US Open in the first round on Monday, losing to Ukrainian qualifier Daria Snigur.
The 124th-ranked Snigur, making her Grand Slam main draw debut, won 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 against the two-time major winner who came into New York having won the prestigious Toronto title.
Snigur, wearing a ribbon in the colours of Ukraine on her shirt, will face Magdalena Frech of Poland or Canada’s Rebecca Marino for a place in the last 32.
She held her nerve on Louis Armstrong Stadium after seeing a 5-1 lead slip away in the final set before taking the tie on a third match point and breaking down in tears
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