Kyrgios crashes out of Miami Masters
Nick Kyrgios has made an explosive exit from the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami, clashing with the umpire before succumbing in the fourth round to Borna Coric.
Both players received code violations for racquet abuse as Coric recovered from a set down to progress to the quarter-finals with a 4-6 6-3 6-2 win.
But the 11th-seeded Coric’s victory was overshadowed by Kyrgios’s antics.
Kyrgios approached chair umpire Gianluca Moscarella to sarcastically congratulate the Italian’s controlling of the match after being docked a point penalty while down game point serving at 2-4 in the deciding set.
Having already been warned for his behaviour, the combustible Canberran was sanctioned for saying “f––– you man” to a spectator in the stands.
All is right in the world. Kyrgios destroys his racquet twice, gives it to a fan wearing a Celtics shirt, gets a warning and then tells the umpire: “I was just folding it up for him”
— Tumaini Carayol (@tumcarayol) March 26, 2019
With the match all but lost, Kyrgios shook left hands with the official at the ensuing changeover before he continued to berate him during the sit-down.
“Really good job. Well done,” he said.
“You’ve controlled the environment really, really well.”
Kyrgios’s earlier complaints to the umpire about crowd disturbances had fallen on deaf ears.
A new change of ends activity 🤷♂️@NickKyrgios #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/Xw6pLfjPKu
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 26, 2019
“You’ve done nothing to keep the fans from yelling out,” he said.
Murphy said the fans were merely “enjoying themselves”.
They certainly would have enjoyed Kyrgios’s extraordinary shot making.
After calling the trainer to have his knee strapped after just three games, the temperamental talent produced the shot of the tournament in battling back from 3-1 down to take the opening set.
After teasing Coric with a nonchalant no-look volley, Kyrgios, showing no signs of any injury, turned around and sprinted back to the baseline to send an audacious tweener past the advancing Croatian.
Simply INCREDIBLE!🔥
Outrageous skill from @NickKyrgios at the #MiamiOpen 👏
🎥: @TennisTV pic.twitter.com/3JNNumcg10
— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 26, 2019
“Get outa here, Nick Kyrgios. That’s insanely good,” a commentator gushed before the Australian once again mentally unravelled.
Coric next plays Canadian teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime for a place in the semi-finals.
Auger-Aliassime is the first qualifier to reach the quarter-finals in 12 years after taking out 17th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili 7-6 (7-4) 6-4.
Defending champion John Isner also advanced with a 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-3) win over Brit Kyle Edmund.
Eyeing his best-ever result on tour, Australian Jordan Thompson followed Kyrgios on the grandstand court against South African sixth seed Kevin Anderson.
-AAP