Nick Kyrgios swears at umpire after mistake in Houston semi-final meltdown

An all too familiar pattern has once again emerged as Nick Kyrgios bowed out of the Houston semi-final after a furious tirade.

Nick Kyrgios is out of the ATP Houston event following a 6-3 7-5 loss to American third seed Reilly Opelka but not before another furious tirade at an umpire.

Opelka won the first set 6-3 and it was 5-5 in the second with Kyrgios trying to serve to stay in the match.

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Kyrgios was up 30-15 when the big American’s return appeared to go long, but with no reaction from the umpire.

He then put the ball away down the line and claimed the point to make it 30-all.

Kyrgios erupted.

“What do you mean you don’t know from there? Where are you supposed to sit then if you can’t see it?” Kyrgios raged.

“That’s why I called it in,” umpire Joshua Brace told Kyrgios.

Kyrgios: “It was out bro.”

Umpire: “I didn’t know.”

Kyrgios: “It was right here.”

Umpie: “I can see.”

Kyrgios: “Then what are you doing then? What are you supposed to be doing?”

Nick Kyrgios was furious. Photo: Fox Sports

Kyrgios was furious about the call. Photo: Fox Sports

Umpire: “If I’m not 100 per cent, I can’t call it out from here. And I can’t check the line.”

Kyrgios: “So you’re telling me … on clay, he wins that point when the ball is out. So what are you guys actually doing out here then? Because there’s no Hawkeye and I can’t challenge it.”

Umpire: “If it is out, then I did miss it.”

Kyrgios: “Well, congratulations.”

The commentators said that Kyrgios should have stopped the point if he believed it was out so the umpire could check the mark.

Kyrgios then hit the ball out on the next play and continued to talk at the umpire and he was docked a point and ultimately the game.

This made Kyrgios all the more furious.

“It’s f**king out, it’s out of bounds on clay, how are you not calling it? How?” Kyrgios exploded.

“It’s an absolute joke bro. How are you missing that? How? I can’t do anything on clay though. It’s up to you guys to make that call. I can’t stop mid point.”

Brace responded calmly: “I believe you now, I made a mistake.”

“Yeah, well do you think it was a costly mistake?” Kyrgios shot back at him. “Do you think it was a costly mistake?”

“Nick, I still can’t call it …,” the umpire said.

Kyrgios: “What are you talking about man? The ball is out, oh my god.”

Kyrgios continued at the umpire after the match. Photo: Fox Sports

After a drink, Kyrgios added: “You may as well call the game, because the whole media’s going to think it was my fault for that call, right? So how about you come down to the media and say, ‘I did a terrible job today’?”

Umpire: “I said it twice to you today. I missed that call.

Kyrgios: “It was 5-all 30-15.”

Umpire: “But if I’m not 100 per cent I can’t call it.”

Kyrgios was clearly fuming as he stepped back out on the court, Opelka throwing down three aces to moved into the final of the tournament, his first on clay.

After sitting down, Kyrgios asked: “Do you feel bad? What do you want me to do? I don’t understand. I can’t call that on my own, I can’t just challenge it, I have to play it because it’s clay. Line umpire there, chair umpire there. The easiest line for you to call is the baseline.”

That was enough for the umpire as he walked away.

Kyrgios continued at the umpire after the match. Photo: Fox Sports

The commentators did concede that it raises the question about Hawkeye in clay tournaments.

Kyrgios has had strong performances on the court in his US swing, making the Indian Wells quarters before being knocked out by Rafael Nadal and the Miami Open round of 16 before a loss to Jannik Sinner.

In both matches, Kyrgios ended up furious, slamming umpire Carlos Bernardes for not keeping the crowd quiet against Nadal, and raging at Bernardes again in Miami when his walkie-talkie went off midpoint, before he was handed an unsportsmanlike conduct point penalty and went off at the umpire.

Kyrgios was ultimately fined a total of $US60,000 ($A80,000) for his outbursts in Indian Wells and Miami.

On his least favourite surface of clay, Kyrgios had done well this week, claiming two wins and a walkover to make it to the semi-finals, but the latest meltdown had become too much for some.

Another week, another meltdown at an umpire for Nick Kyrgios, getting a point penalty for audible obscenity down break point at 5-5 in the Houston semifinals.

Kyrgios was still seething over what he thought was a missed call on an earlier point.

Opelka served it out, 6-3, 7-5.

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) April 9, 2022

Another meltdown from Nick Kyrgios at an umpire. It’s getting ridiculous. The ATP has let this go on for far too long. It’s not just Kyrgios and there’s always been scenes like this but they’re so common now, it’s a blight on the sport. #Tennis#ATPpic.twitter.com/SD0se9o4zA

— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) April 9, 2022