Nick Kyrgios forced out of Wimbledon by injury | Inquirer Sports

Nick Kyrgios forced out of Wimbledon by injury

/ 03:01 PM July 04, 2021
Nick Kyrgios Wimbledon

Tennis – Wimbledon – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – July 3, 2021 Australia’s Nick Kyrgios after receiving medical treatment during his third round match against Canada’s Felix Auger Aliassime REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

LONDON – It was good while it lasted but Nick Kyrgios’s return to action was cut short by injury on Saturday as the Australian maverick was forced to quit after two sets against Felix Auger-Aliassime at Wimbledon.

Kyrgios looked great in the opening set as he broke the 16th seed’s serve three times but needed an injury timeout to have treatment on his stomach muscles at 5-2.

ADVERTISEMENT

Grimacing in discomfort he managed to finish off the opening set but he was clearly hampered during the second set, especially on his serve which suddenly lost all its venom.

After Auger-Aliassime had leveled the match, Kyrgios walked around the net post and shook hands, much to the disappointment of the Court One crowd who were hoping for a classic.

FEATURED STORIES

“I’ve not played at this level for a long time and when you’re playing someone as good as Felix I need to have my biggest weapon which is my serve, but I felt something in my ab,” the 26-year-old Kyrgios said on court.

Kyrgios has barely played tennis since the sport shut down last year because of the pandemic.

This was his first event since the Australian Open and he played only three in 2020, opting not to travel under the COVID-19 restrictions.

His opening-round win over Frenchman Ugo Umbert was a rivetting five-setter before he beat Italian Gianluca Mager in the next round in straight sets.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sadly his injury looks like scuppering his dream-team mixed doubles partnership with Venus Williams, although he did have some good news about his future prospects.

“Playing out here and having this kind of support has made me have a second wind. I reckon I’m going to come back and play for a bit longer,” said Kyrgios, whose dedication to the sport has often been questioned.

“I did all I could to prepare to get here. I beat a heck of a player first round and I played a great second round.

“I tried to play as long as I could and I’m sorry that I couldn’t give you more today but you’ll see a lot of him in the future. And he’s better looking too, so it’s all good.”

Auger-Aliassime’s rather hollow victory means he joins compatriot Denis Shapovalov in the last 16 — the first time in the professional era that two Canadian men have lasted that long.

Shapovalov beat another Wimbledon favorite, home hero Andy Murray, on Friday.

RELATED STORIES

Kyrgios delights in Mager victory at Wimbledon

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

Read Next
Don't miss out on the latest news and information.

Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.

TAGS: Felix Auger-Aliassime, Nick Kyrgios, Wimbledon
For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our sports news

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.



© Copyright 1997-2023 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. To find out more, please click this link.