Nick Kyrgios slammed for act of ultra-hypocrisy in doubles semi-final
Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis have set up a dream all-Australian men’s doubles final — but it came after an ugly tantrum.
The Australian Open men’s doubles final will be an all-Australian-affair with Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis joining Matt Ebden and Max Purcell in the final.
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis won through in dramatic scenes just 30 minutes after Ebden and Purcell had booked their spot in the final.
The Special Ks’ 7-6 6-4 win could not be a more perfect result for Australian tennis.
The flamboyant Aussie pair showed they can still cook-up a wild atmosphere away from the public access court of Kia Arena they had called home this tournament.
They had Rod Laver Arena rocking.
Watch Tennis Live with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. Live Coverage of ATP + WTA Tour Tournaments including Every Finals Match. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial >
The wild result, however, was overshadowed by the standard debate surrounding Kyrgios’ on-court antics and the uncouth behaviour of the passionate fans that have cheered him on.
Kyrgios has been savagely roasted for an act of ultimate hypocrisy in the middle of the fiesty second set where the match appeared to be slipping from the Special Ks’ grasp.
Leading 4-2, Kyrgios’ serve was broken and it prompted a typically petulant meltdown where the polarising player turned on his own fans.
After pitching a tennis ball into the back wall with an angry throw, Kyrgios lost it when opposition duo Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos secured the break.
Kyrgios destroyed his racquet and was handed a code violation warning.
Aussie legend Todd Woodbridge told Channel 9 Kyrgios was lucky not to be given a second code violation for his explicit language.
The real drama came at the change of ends when Kyrgios berated the chair umpire to control the fans that appeared to be yelling out during his service motions.
The heckling in the middle of a service motion is something Kyrgios has encouraged from his fans all tournament — just not when it is his turn, apparently.
The extraordinary hypocrisy in his words were not lost on Aussie tennis commentators.
Woodbridge described it as “a little contradictory”.
Former Aussie player Sam Groth said: “Kyrgios unhappy with the crowd yelling between serves. Not very different to what we have been hearing all week, to be honest.
“Maybe it is acceptable on Kia Arena and not Rod Laver Arena.”
Other Aussie sport commentators including radio personality Mark Levy were even more scathing.
“Nick Kyrgios wants the chair umpire to control the crowd that he whips into a frenzy. That’ll do me,” he wrote on Twitter.
“I’ll tell you the real problem Nick, you’re a sore loser when things aren’t going your way.
Keep composed BRO!!!
A necessity of playing alongside Kyrgios is being ready to grab his smashed racquets. pic.twitter.com/4gH1b2kBI8
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) January 27, 2022
Nick Kyrgios & Thanasi Kokkinakis literally 2 days ago: "The rowdier the better from everyone honestly".
— Luke Cooper (@luke__cooper) January 27, 2022
Nick Kyrgios today: Losing his mind at the crowd because rowdy Aussie fans are making noise before his serve.
The logic is unbelievable. #AusOpen#AO2022
Nick Kyrgios complaining about noise during his serve is ridiculous. That's exactly what he wanted them to do to his opponents in previous matches. Pretty hypocritical. #Ausopen#Tennis
— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) January 27, 2022
English tennis correspondent Stuart Fraser wrote: “Can confirm that Kyrgios is flipping his lid in the Rod Laver Arena. Has twice roared at Aussie fans for shouting out before his serve.”
TV microphones captured Kyrgios barking at the chair umpire, saying: “How many times? How many times will it happen before you do something. The ball gets thrown up and they go again and again and again and again, four times”.
Though some have slammed crowds for crossing the line — that same passion followed Kyrgios onto the bigger amphitheatre of Rod Laver Arena right from the moment the Special Ks walked onto court.
The crowd erupted wildly when Kyrgios and Kokkinakis wrapped up the first set 7-6 in a nail-biting tiebreaker.
They lost it completely when the secured the victory after just under two hours.
Kyrgios fever extended to the players’ locker room with TV cameras capturing the moment several of the biggest stars left in Melbourne stood glued to TV screens as the first set unfolded.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev and Matteo Berrettini were among the players spotted downing tools to watch the Special Ks show.
The Special Ks craze was also bluntly captured in the stark contrast between their match on centre court and the other doubles semi-final happening at the same time on Margaret Court Arena — which featured Ebden and Purcell.
Tennis reporter Eleanor Crooks showed in one photo that the Special Ks army had successfully made the journey from the public access court of Kia Arena to the prestigious RLA.
The contrast to MCA is, well, stark. Fewer than 100 people watching another two Aussies, Matt Ebden and Max Purcell, taking on Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram #AusOpenpic.twitter.com/SgraD8t06h
— Eleanor Crooks (@EleanorcrooksPA) January 27, 2022
Kiwi Michael Venus — who was part of the pairing that lost to the dynamic Aussie duo in the quarter-finals — had earlier called Kyrgios a “knob” for how he behaved but that didn’t dampen the 26-year-old’s energy levels in the semis.
Kyrgios was up to his usual antics right from the start.. After the very first point he was gesturing for the crowd to get into the contest.
Granollers and Zeballos won the first game as a chant of “Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!” rang out. After Kyrgios opened his first service game with an ace, the familiar cry of “siu” erupted.
However, the big difference between the two stadiums was also clearly visible throughout the first set with the crowd refraining from cheering or heckling in the middle of Granollers’ and Zeballos’ service actions.
There was even a cheer from inside the arena when the chair umpire asked for fans to “keep it clean and fair” during the first set.
They were better behaved than any crowd Kyrgios has played in front of this tournament — and it just happened to be the one he disliked the most
Demon, Boulter go viral over ‘baby’ tweet
Engaged tennis power couple Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter have set pulses racing after an intimate exchange on social media.
‘Banned for life’: Novak ‘disrespect’ slammed
The fallout from Novak Djokovic’s tumultuous Australian Open campaign has continued with his Davis Cup captain demanding action.
Major network disappears from TV screens
A global TV giant is set to be erased from screens with the likes of Jim Courier and John McEnroe caught in the middle.