Nick Kyrgios has slammed the “disgusting” behavior of some tennis fans, after video circulated on social media of Daniil Medvedev being heckled after his second round loss to the Australian in Montreal.
Key points:
Video showed Daniil Medvedev being called a “loser” by fans as he walked towards the locker room
On social media, Nick Kyrgios said fans needed to “show some respect” to the number one men’s player
Medvedev said he had felt compelled to stop and talk to the fans because, “when someone mocks me, I’ll respond”
In a video re-tweeted by Kyrgios, Medvedev is shown being called a “loser” as he walks towards the locker room with security.
Medvedev then stops, turning and speaking with the fan, as someone shouts “you respect us and we respect you.”
Others can be heard imploring the fan to apologise.
On Twitter, Kyrgios labeled the fan’s behavior as “disgusting”.
“This is the best we have in the sport, fans need to show some respect.”
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The interaction came after Kyrgios had defeated the Russian world number one at the ATP’s Montreal Masters, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-2.
At a press conference for the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, Medvedev said he had felt compelled to approach the spectator.
“When someone mocks me, I’ll respond,” he said.
“It would be bad to let people shout bad things at me and just keep walking. I will ask what his problem is.”
Daniil Medvedev responded to questions about the incident at a press conference for the Western and Southern Open.(Getty Images: Matthew Stockman)
Medvedev said he had also talked to the father of the fan who had called him a “loser”.
“The father of the guy said something to me also — I say: ‘Educate your kid’,” Medvedev said.
“This is one of the first times it has happened to me. It doesn’t really happen a lot.”
Medvedev implied that abuse from fans was much more common online than in real life.
“On social media [insults] are a bit out of control,” he added.
Kyrgios eventually lost in the quarter-finals of the Montreal Masters to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz.
Hurkacz, the number eight seed, won 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (5-7), 6-1.
The Australian had previously won 15 of his last 16 matches, and finished runner-up at Wimbledon.
Nick Kyrgios confessed that he had little more to give physically as his nine-match win streak came to an end in the quarter-finals of the ATP Montreal Masters on Friday.
The Wimbledon runner-up lost 7-6, 6-7, 6-1 to Polish powerhouse Hubert Hurkacz after coming to the court with 15 victories from his past 16 matches.
But the Australian had little left to give as his body began to complain.
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“My body hasn’t been feeling great the last week,” he said.
“I was feeling the abdominal (muscle) a little bit before the match. My knees hurt.”
Kyrgios kept the pace of the match brisk as he held his own in the first two sets before finally losing momentum in the third as Hurkacz took control.
The Aussie was annoyed as his opponent left the court for a change of clothes and bathroom break, a delay that ate into his fragile fitness.
During the broadcast, Kyrgios was overheard saying: “We’re not f***ing machines, bro. We can’t just go and stop, go and stop, go and stop.”
He later told reporters: “Obviously when you’re playing and you stop for like five to 10 minutes, it doesn’t help your body.
“My body was so stiff after that, I couldn’t move properly.
“I mean, it’s within the rules. I’m not going to complain. I completely stiffened up.”
World No. 37 Kyrgios, whose performance this week will send him into a seeded US Open spot, added: “I’m not a machine. I’m a human.”
Kyrgios won his first ATP title in three years last week at Washington and shared the doubles crown with Jack Sock, the first man in the event’s 53-year history to take both crowns in the same year.
“My knees were sore, my back was sore… I was trying to stay moving, but I just stiffened up,” Kyrgios said.
“My body hasn’t been feeling great the last week.”
Kyrgios said he needs a pause before returning to the fray next week at Cincinnati in the last major tuneup for the US Open, which begins August 29.
“I feel good, but the US Open is still two and a half weeks away. I have Cincinnati next week. That’s all I’m focusing on,” he said.
“I’m focusing on today, tonight, recovery, food, then just resting, then Cincinnati. That’s where my mind is at.”
Hurkacz overcame 53 winners from Kyrgios to halt the Australian’s nine-match winning streak. The No. 8 seed managed 43 winners of his own in a rapid-fire triumph that put him into his fourth semi-final at the Masters level.
Hurkacz will next face Norway’s fourth-seeded Casper Ruud, who crushed home-nation player Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 6-2, in 74 minutes.
Boxer David Lemieux is retiring following the tragic murder of his father during a shooting spree in Canada.
A man suspected of killing three people in Montreal on August 2 was later shot and killed by police, The Sun reported.
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Former IBF middleweight champion Lemieux is only 33 but has clearly been left heartbroken by his father’s senseless and brutal killing.
“I’ve accomplished a lot in the course of my career,” Lemieux told Boxing News 24.
“I achieved my dream of becoming world champion, I’ve given the fans rousing fights by accepting every challenge that came my way.
“I devoted my life to training, to boxing, and now I want to cherish every minute with my family.
“I accomplished a lot, but I didn’t do it alone. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the fans who supported and encouraged me throughout my career.”
Lemiueux’s father was shot dead during a 24-hour shooting spree in Canada last week where three people were killed.
One of the men killed was identified as Andre Fernand Lemieux, 64, which David confirmed by uploading a post on his Instagram with a picture of his father accompanied by the caption “RIP dad.”
“To learn that your father died by being shot while waiting for the bus is quite a shock. Everyone in the family is shaken,” he told Le Journal de Montreal.
Lemieux lost his IBF title in a thrilling fight with legend Gennady Golovkin at Madison Square Garden in 2015.
He was also defeated by Brit Billy Joe Saunders in Quebec in 2017.
Lemieux said just after his father’s death: “To learn that your father died by being shot while waiting for the bus is quite a shock. Everyone in the family is shaken.”
Lemieux lost his last fight to David Benavidez in May this year.
His pro career began in 2007 and his overall record is 43 wins and five losses. But many boxers change their minds about retirement, with Tyson Fury performing another U-turn this week.
This story first appeared in The Sun and was republished with permission.
Eight months after scoffing at the ATP world rankings, Nick Kyrgios has moved up 100 places — and he might not be done yet.
It was back in January, Kyrgios, 27, started the year in the 93rd spot. Soon after he dropped outside the top 100 and slid as far down as 137th in March.
All along though the outspoken Australian never feared about his slide down the rankings.
“Honestly, if I’m ranked 1000 or 10 in the world I know what I’m capable of and everyone knows what I’m capable of on Tour,” he said in January.
“I’m not a player that hasn’t come from themselves – I talk a lot but I also have beaten a lot of players and I’ve won a lot of tournaments so that’s not something I’m focusing on,” he said.
“I just want to go out there have fun and I want to put on a good performance.
“It’s the Australian summer and people expect me to put on a good show and I think that I’m still capable of doing that.
“I won Acapulco unseeded and I beat four top-10 players … I think the level of tennis has never been this deep, everyone can play, everyone’s capable of doing very, very well.”
Despite his runner-up finish at the All England Courts not counting towards his ATP ranking because of Wimbledon’s decision to exclude Russian and Belarusian players because of the war in Ukraine, Kyrgios has now moved inside the top 30 with his round of 16 win over Alex by Minaur on Friday.
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Demon no match for King Kyrgios | 02:16
After starting the tournament ranked 37, Kyrgios has moved to No.27 in the world after his two-set clinical showing at the ATP Montreal Masters
He will climb as high as No.21 should he prevail over eighth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals on Saturday and could move inside the top 15 should he win the tournament. He has now won 15 of his past 16 single matches, including his past nine straight.
Nick Kyrgios was in sublime form against Alex de Minaur during Day 6 of the National Bank Open on August 11, 2022 in Montreal, Canada. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
In a boost to his US Open hopes, Kyrgios’ victory over de Minaur means the volatile Australian will be seeded at the grand slam event.
“It was a goal, more so that I don’t get one of the big titans or gods the first-round, I can actually work my way through the draw, if the draw is kind,” he said.
“I always feel as if my game is right there. I feel like no matter who I play, today I felt amazing, and let’s keep it going.”
The Tennis world was blown away by Kyrgios’ clinical showing in Canada.
De Minaur had few answers against his Davis Cup teammate, who came to the net early and reeled off 22 winners and just nine unforced errors in the 62 minute demolition.
It was the type of tennis that saw Kyrgios progress through his maiden Slam final, where he ultimately went down to Novak Djokovic in a five-set epic.
Nick Kyrgios’ stunning purple patch has continued, with the Wimbledon runner-up comprehensively defeating compatriot Alex de Minaur in the Montreal Masters on Friday morning (AEST).
The Australian, currently sitting at No. 37 on the ATP rankings, topped his Davis Cup teammate in straight sets 6-2 6-3, securing victory in just 62 minutes.
Kyrgios was at his absolute best during the entertaining round of 16 contest, registering 22 winners and only nine unforced errors in front of a packed-out stadium.
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However, he carried on with constant backchat towards his players box, giving almost a running commentary of his state of mind on the court in a display that seems second nature to him.
Minaur’s World No. 21 hardly won a point in the opening four games, fighting back in the second set by breaking Kyrgios twice, but struggling to hold serve himself.
It was the first time Kyrgios and de Minaur had met in an ATP event.
“After yesterday’s big high, today was really hard mentally for me to go out and play Alex,” Kyrgios said.
“We’re such good friends, he’s been having such a good career and carrying the Australian flag for so long. It was just tough mentally, it’s never easy to play a friend like that especially if they’re an Australian so I just got out here and got the job done.
“I played the way I had to play — he’s a hell of a player. If you play to his strengths he’s one of the best players from the back (of the court) in the game and he’s so fast, he’s going to have a hell of a career.
Kyrgios will next face Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals. The pair faced off two months ago on grass, with Hurkacz the victor on that occasion.
This Montreal Masters campaign will give Kyrgios an important rankings boost ahead of the US Open, which gets underway on Monday August 29.
He is expected to climb 10 spots in the ATP rankings, and could crack the top 15 if he wins the Canadian tournament.
Fresh from winning the Citi Open title in Washington, Kyrgios came back from a set down to top world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev 6-7 6-4 6-2 on Thursday.
It’s the second time in his career he’s beaten a world No. 1 and he now boasts a 3-1 head-to-head record against Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion.
Since landing in the United States for the American hard court swing a couple of weeks ago, Kyrgios is 16-0 across singles and doubles.
He has now won 15 of his past 16 singles matches, stretching back to his run into the Wimbledon final, which he lost to 21-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic.
“It’s rewarding to beat the world No. 1,” Kyrgios told The Tennis Channel after the victory over Medvedev.
“It’s a reflection of all the hard work I’ve done in Sydney.
“After Washington I could easily come here and be content with what I did last week, but I wanted to empty the tank these two weeks.
“Obviously my ranking’s not where I want it to be, not getting those points at Wimbledon, but I’ve got to capitalize on this little window.”
If there was any doubt about Nick Kyrgios’ US Open hopes, there is not now.
Fresh from his three-set victory over world No.1 Daniil Medvedev, Kyrgios demolished his Australian compatriot Alex de Minaur in straight sets (6-2, 6-3).
His clinic in Canada, which sees him move into the quarter-finals, didn’t see the volatile Australian turning on his box at times.
As late as the penultimate game, Kyrgios was blowing up at his team for their “lack of support” as he was broken.
But just as quickly he responded, winning in style a game late to progress through to the final eight.
“(Today was) incredibly tough,” he said.
“After yesterday’s big high, after playing Daniil and the crowd was amazing, it’s a day I’ll probably never forget.
“Today was really hard mentally for me to go out and play Alex, we’re such good friends and he’s been having such a good career so far and carrying the Australian flag for so long, it was tough mentally to play a friend, especially if they’re Australian.
“I just got out here and got the job done. I played the way I had to play. He’s a helluva player, if he plays to his strengths from him, he’s one of the best players from the back of the court and he’s so fast.
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Nick Kyrgios is through to the quarter-finals. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: AFP
The win means more than meets the eye because it sees him move back inside the world top 30 in the ATP rankings and crucially a seeding at the US Open, which gets underway on August 29.
With his round of 16 win Kyrgios is now the new world No.27. A win in the quarter-final over Hubert Hurkacz will see him climb as high as No.21.
“It was a goal, more so that I don’t get one of the big titans or gods the first-round, I can actually work my way through the draw, if the draw is kind,” he said on court.
“I always feel as if my game is right there. I feel like no matter who I play, today I felt amazing, and let’s keep it going.”
Indeed, de Minaur appeared “shell shocked” as a “mature” Kyrgios ran riot in the opening set, where the Wimbledon runner-up claimed the opening four games.
De Minaur eventually got on the scoreboard in the fifth game as he managed to hold serve for the first time in the match.
But with his fourth ace of the opening set, Kyrgios moved to a 5-1 lead and soon after claimed the first set 6-2 in just 23 minutes
“As flawless as sets come,” it was said in commentary. “A quite ridiculous level from Nick Kyrgios.”
Alex de Minaur lost in straight sets against Nick Kyrgios. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: AFP
After being on his best behavior during the first set, Kyrgios starting firing up early in the second set.
He actions were described as “pure venting” as he turned on his box in the opening games of the second set.
Nonetheless, Kyrgios took an early break in the second set and never looked back.
Nick Kyrgios and Daniil Medvedev put on one heck of a show during their second round clash at the Canadian Open on Thursday morning (AEST) as the Australian continued his brilliant run of form ahead of this year’s US Open.
Fresh from winning the Citi Open title in Washington, Kyrgios’ class on hard courts was on show once again as he came back from a set down to topple world No. 1 Medvedev 6-7 6-4 6-2.
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Kyrgios has won 14 of his past 15 singles matches, stretching back to his run into the Wimbledon final, which he lost to Novak Djokovic. It’s the second time in his career that he’s beaten a world No. 1 and he now boasts a 3-1 head-to-head record against Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion.
Since landing in the States for the American hard court swing a couple of weeks ago, Kyrgios is 15-0 across singles and doubles.
American tennis icon Andy Roddick believes Kyrgios is now the favorite for the US Open, which kicks off in a couple of weeks, while Aussie tennis great Rennae Stubbs was in awe of what the Canberran is producing.
“@NickKyrgios I mean when he plays tennis and keeps his s**t together, he is seriously close to the best tennis player in the world,” Stubbs tweeted.
“His serve is untouchable at the moment. Fitness level is HIGH and his tennis acumen is unreal. That effort after losing the 1st set was impressive.”
Eric Hubbs of Barstool Sports tweeted: “Kyrgios domination continues. Finally playing to his potential and it’s awesome.”
But there is more than just tennis on Kyrgios’ mind. His mother Norlaila is in hospital back home in Australia, and he wrote “be strong, ma” on her camera after his victory.
“It’s hard because even traveling now, my mum is in hospital at the moment, my dad hasn’t been very well, my brother just had a baby and I don’t get to be there with my family when normal people would like to be with them,” Kyrgios said.
“It’s hard being from Australia because we can’t travel back and forth. There’s a lot of things people don’t see. They only see me winning, losing, throwing a racquet, doing those things. They don’t really understand the challenges that I face or what people on tour face, what’s going on in their personal lives.”
Kyrgios was the only player to have break points in the first set, but he failed to convert either of his opportunities at 5-4 and then was all over the shop during the tiebreak.
The 27-year-old smashed a ball out of the stadium in anger after dropping the opener, but was back at his mercurial best in the second set. Kyrgios broke Medvedev early on and maintained the rage to close out the set 6-4.
There were the usual antics from Kyrgios, who once again hit out at those in his player’s box.
Writer Allesandro Nivola tweeted: “Nick Kyrgios’s relationship with his box is so disturbing. He it’s like a deranged psychopathic dictator and his ‘advisors’ of him. They look terrified of saying the wrong thing or of standing up when they should sit down or of sitting down when they should stand up.”
However, Kyrgios composed himself for the decider to shut out Medvedev and progress to the third round in Montreal as his red-hot run continues.
He and Thanasi Kokkinakis won the doubles title in Atlanta then Kyrgios teamed up with Jack Sock in Washington to take out the Citi Open trophy.
That same day he also cleaned up in the singles draw, defeating Yoshihito Nishioka to win his first title in three years — a feat he last achieved at the same tournament in Washington back in 2019.
Speaking after his win over Nishioka earlier this week, Kyrgios opened up on his “transformation” after coming through some tough times emotionally.
“It was emotional for me to see where I was last year to now, it’s an incredible transformation,” Kyrgios said. “I just came out with great energy because I knew I had the experience on my side today.
“I’ve been in some really dark places and just to be able to turn it around…
“There’s so many people who have helped me get there but myself, I’ve shown some serious strength to just continue and just persevere and get through those really tough times and still be able to perform in tournaments like this one.”
Nick Kyrgios says he has become more “resilient” and is still maturing while he is playing the best tennis of his career.
He continued his hot streak on Wednesday (AEST), defeating Sebastian Baez 6-4 6-4 in their first round match at the Canadian Open in Montreal.
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Kyrgios had his serve broken for the first time since his loss in the Wimbledon final, but recovered to claim a straight sets win.
The Australian is in superb form after he won both the singles and doubles titles at the Citi Open in Washington DC last week.
But Kyrgios is unseeded in Montreal and will next face World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, who he joked was far from the ideal opponent.
“I know I’ve got Medvedev next, which kind of sucks because against pretty much any player in the world right now I feel extremely confident,” Kyrgios told the Tennis Channel.
“Obviously I feel confident going up against him but we all know what he can produce. I’m a bit tired but I’m going to try and give him a good run.”
Kyrgios said having to play two matches in one day in Washington made him realize “that I can be really resilient at times”.
“In the past, I probably would have definitely pulled out of doubles,” he admitted.
“After the (Frances) Tiafoe match, I played Reilly (Opelka) and then Frances in the same day and came out the next day and played during the day basically.”
Kyrgios confessed he hadn’t always given 100 per cent effort on the court in the past but in a scary prospect to his rivals, he said he has turned a corner.
“I know at times I haven’t always been the best example going out on court, kind of not giving my best effort and all that,” he said.
“But I feel like when I have a week like DC, it kind of erases those things and shows how much I’ve grown. It was just a hell of a week, probably my favorite week of my career so far having my girlfriend and my team with me. And winning the doubles title was pretty special as well.
“I’m learning a lot about myself still to this day I’m maturing and hopefully I can keep having these good results.”
Kyrgios is now ranked World No. 37 and if he gets past Medvedev, a deep run at Montreal would ensure he secures a crucial seed at the US Open, which begins later this month.
Former US Open champion Andy Roddick believes Kyrgios is in such a purple patch he is one of the top three contenders to take out the last grand slam of the year.
“It’s a big, big deal to me that he goes into Washington, which is a pretty big event in the lead-up to the US Open,” Roddick said on The Rich Eisen Show.
“Brutal conditions… To go through singles and doubles and not to tap out mentally or physically is a big, big sign.
“I think it puts him into the top two, maybe three, favorites for the US Open.”
Nick Kyrgios’ career-best run of form has prompted an inevitable debate around one big question — is he a legitimate contender to win the US Open?
The 27-year-old Australian made history by winning both the singles and doubles titles at the ATP event in Washington, a month after he reached his first grand slam final at Wimbledon.
Kyrgios’ ranking has jumped to 37 and a strong performance at next week’s Montreal Masters could clinch him an all-important seeding at the year’s final grand slam in New York, starting later this month.
The enigmatic Aussie caught many by surprise with his run at the All England Club and how he’s since backed up that performance has prompted discussion about whether Kyrgios may now be emerging as the grand slam force many have always thought he could become.
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Kyrgios wins hearts with gift for fan | 00:37
Former world No.1 Andy Roddick is among those who believe the hype is real when it comes to Kyrgios’ prospects at Flushing Meadows, where Wimbledon champion Nick Kyrgios and injury-riddle Rafael Nadal may be absent.
“It’s a big, big deal to me that he goes into Washington, which is a pretty big event in the lead-up to the US Open,” Roddick told Steve Weissman of Tennis Channel on The Rich Eisen Show.
“Brutal conditions….To go through singles and doubles and not to tap out mentally or physically is a big, big sign.
“I think it puts him into the top two, maybe three, favorites for the US Open.”
Stuart Fraser, writing for The Times, said many of Kyrgios’ rivals will be relieved he is on course to be seeded at the US Open — removing him as a nightmare early round potential opponent — and agreed Kyrgios was up as a legitimate force in the singles.
“Whether Kyrgios is seeded or not at the US Open, he will be considered a contender after showing at Wimbledon that he has what it takes to come through several consecutive matches in the extended best-of-five-set format,” Fraser said.
“A potential second-round meeting with Medvedev in Montreal this week would help to determine where exactly he will sit on the bookmakers’ list.”
Kokk downs veteran Verdasco in Mexico | 00:26
Tennis Podcast co-host Matt Roberts said Kyrgios’ Washington performance showed he was likely to build on his success at Wimbledon, rather than it being a flash in the pan.
“I know it’s the first time he’s won a title this season but he has been playing very well whenever he’s played and I do think, I go back a lot to that quote he gave, kind of jokingly, straight after Wimbledon but it was serious at the same time, where he said that if he’d won Wimbledon he might have lost his motivation,” Roberts said.
“I actually think that losing that final, in a way, is probably the best thing in terms of prolonging his career. I think he’s got a little bit of a taste for it now in terms of wanting to see what happens when he properly dedicates himself and really does put his mind to it.
“I think he wants to find out how good he can get. A week like this, he played players that were kind of comfortable for him I think. He’s still only beaten Tsitisapas as a top 10 player in this run. We haven’t really seen him play those absolute top players I suppose.
“I’m interested to see next week when he plays potentially Daniil Medvedev in potentially his second match in Canada.
“That would be a fantastic test for both of them. it’s kind of tough to judge just exactly where Kyrgios’ level is but — an unmotivated Kyrgios is a dangerous player. A motivated Kyrgios is a different thing altogether.”
Co-host David Law warned, however, that history was not on Kyrgios’ side when it came to going all the way at slams.
“I think he is playing the most professional, consistent tennis of his career. Whether that means anything we’ll have to wait and see,” Law said.
“… I still think, best of five sets where you don’t have the help of the surface, he is going to malfunction.
“He is going to get in his own way. Somebody is going to hang on in a match, players peak at grand slams. He’s going to play against players who are playing their best stuff at that tournament and he is going to come apart at the seams, most likely, because that is the history.
RAGE aplenty as Kyrgios wins tie-break | 02:07
James Gray, writing for iSport, agreed despite acknolwedging the Kyrgios hype train “might never have had such a head of steam up as it currently does”.
“Entertainment has never been Kyrgios’s problem: attainment has,” Gray wrote.
“Have you finally got over that hump? There are certainly results in his 2022 record to suggest he might have done, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas (twice), Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev, but his record against the top 20 in 2022 remains six wins and seven losses. For that kind of form to equal victory in New York, Kyrgios will need some help from the draw.
“He is likely to get some as well, since his world ranking will now almost certainly earn him a seeded spot, protecting him from the world’s top 30 players in the opening two rounds. And circumstance – injury to Alexander Zverev and the unvaccinated status of Novak Djokovic – will protect him from two of the top 10 for the duration of the tournament.”
Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, whose refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19 makes him unable to enter Canada, has officially withdrawn from the ATP hardcourt tournament in Montreal, organizers said on Thursday.
The Serbian star’s unvaccinated status made it unlikely he would play in the prestigious ATP Masters tournament, just as it means he will probably miss the US Open starting later in August as the United States also requires visitors to the country to show proof of vaccination.
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Earlier this month, Montreal Masters tournament director Eugene Lepierre said he did not expect Djokovic to play.
“Either the Canadian government is going to change the rules regarding vaccination or he is going to roll up his sleeves and get the vaccine. But I don’t think any of those scenarios are realistic,” Lepierre said.
Germany’s Oscar Otte has also withdrawn from the tournament which starts on Monday with Benjamin Bonzi of France and Australia’s Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios moving into the main draw, Tennis Canada said.
In addition, three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray was handed a wildcard on Thursday, along with Belgian David Goffin and Canadians Vasek Pospisil and Alexis Galarneau.
Britain’s Murray, a former world number one who won the Canadian title in 2009, 2010 and 2015, has been rising in the rankings this season from 134th to 50th.
He reached finals in Sydney in January and Stuttgart in June, but fell in the first round in Washington earlier this week to Sweden’s Mikael Ymer.
Despite that disappointment, Murray said on Monday he believes he can get his ranking high enough to earn a seeding at the US Open, which he won a decade ago.
“It’s still possible,” he said. “I would just need to have a good run in Canada or Cincinnati really. It’s pretty straightforward if I was to make a quarter-final or a semi-final, which right now – after a loss like that – doesn’t seem realistic.
“I do feel like if I play very well that I could do that. But I’ll certainly need to play better than I did today.”
Meanwhile, Kyrgios has continued his preparation for the last grand slam of the year with a strong win over Tommy Paul at the Washington Open on Thursday (AEST).
The Australian was challenged in just his second singles match since Wimbledon and had to play his best tennis to defeat Paul 6-3 6-4.
Kyrgios was locked in, firing off 15 aces including one rocket at 218km/h.
He was superb in the clutch moments — saving all four break points he faced and converting three out of four of his own break point opportunities.
Kyrgios was up to his usual antics when he got stuck into the umpire after he was given a code violation for ball abuse.
But the Washington crowd was in his corner and he showed his soft side in the first set, when an elderly fan was hit in the face by a ball that took a wayward bounce into the stands.
Kyrgios went over and handed the spectator one of his towels.
He is chasing his second title in Washington and will next face fourth seed Reilly Opelka in the round of 16 on Friday.
