Greek Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has dethroned World Number 1 Daniil Medvedev after a blockbuster US Open showdown in New York on Monday morning (AEST).
There was some insane tennis, protests and insults in what was a thrilling clash between two ‘anti-heroes’, but in the end the Greek Australian dominated the Russian with 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 and now heads into the quarter finals against No. 27 seed Karen Khachanov for a spot in the semi-finals.
Earlier in the match saw Kyrgios explode at his player’s box which included his doubles teammate Thanasi Kokkinakis and his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi.
“Tell me where to f***ing serve,” he yelled in their direction.
“F***ing three times. Say something. F***ing hell.”
Meanwhile, American sports commentators were quick to warn TV audiences of the expletives and offered their apologies.
“This place is so well mic’d that you’re going to hear a lot of cursing tonight,” one TV commentator said.
“Sorry about that.”
The members of Kyrgios player’s box later become the target of Daniil Medvedev in the second set, with the world number 1 complaining to the chair umpire about them and threatening to walk out unless they stopped whatever it was that was irritating him.
“They cannot do it,” Medvedev said.
“If they do it a second time I am not playing until somebody is out. I have just told you I am not playing if they do it a second time because they cannot do it on my serve.
“They are in a box of a professional tennis player, they cannot do it on my serve. One more time and I am not playing anymore.”
Commentating in the United States, Jim Courier said: “It sounds like someone has irritated Medvedev from Nick Kyrgios’ box and he’s suggesting they will need to be removed if they keep doing what they keep doing.
At the 30-30 mark during Medvedev’s first service game of the set, Kyrgios lost a winning point after bizzarely crossing to the other side of the net into Medvedev’s side of the court to cheekily put away a mock smash.
Tennis commentators couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed.
“I’ve never seen that in all my time in tennis,” said Aussie tennis great Todd Woodbridge.
“Oh, what an error. That should have been a break point.”
He went on to say: “I still can’t believe it”.
Veteran journalist Ben Rothenberg wrote on Twitter: “Kyrgios just found the dumbest way to lose a point I’ve ever seen, goodness”.
American TV commentator Brad Gilbert wrote: “I have never seen that before. It cost Cheerios Kyrgios a break point”.
Tennis journalist Jose Morgado wrote: “What the hell did Kyrgios just do on a 30-30? Dear lord”.
Meanwhile Kyrgios himself laughed off the incident saying: “I honestly was thinking that was legal.”
