Nick Kyrgios says ‘I need a miracle’ to play Australian Open after brutal reality check following long layoff

Nick Kyrgios believes he will “need a miracle” to compete for a Grand Slam title after an injury defeat that gave him confidence but also offered the Australian a sobering reality.

The Australian could only shrug his shoulders when rising star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard left him with a “throbbing” wrist and ruined his comeback party in the first round of the Brisbane International tournament on Tuesday.

The Australian was frustrated but showed fight, touch and fitness in a 7-6 (7-2) 6-7 (7-4) 7-6 (7-3) defeat that lasted almost two and a half hours and There were no service interruptions.

The 21-year-old French talent emerged from outside the world’s top 200 to finish 31st in the world this year, and his enormous weapon on both the first and second serves is already arguably the most devastating in the sport.

Kyrgios, playing only his second singles match at tour level in two and a half years after a troublesome wrist injury, felt the full weight of that a day after partnering Novak Djokovic in a doubles victory on Monday night. evening.

Mpetshi Perricard served 36 aces to Kyrgios’ 15, regularly topping 220kmh with ease and backing herself up with huge second serves to compound the mental and physical pain as just four points separated the pair.

“I felt like I’d been hit by a bus after the doubles,” he said after admitting that his wrist was “throbbing like it was hit.”

“It’s all new territory for my wrist… I went from practicing with unranked people to taking on the biggest server… on the planet and, ‘let’s see how you do.'”

‘Tomorrow is going to be a hard day for my doll.

“I was very excited about the Australian Open and after today… the reality was fair.

‘(Winning one) might be one of the hardest things to do in any sport.

‘I almost need a miracle and for the stars to align for my wrist to safely endure a Grand Slam.

“But I’m very happy to be part of the Australian summer again.

‘I don’t take it for granted; Going out there again playing against a top player like that…smiling to myself knowing I’m right in the thick of the battle.

“We didn’t expect to play at such a high level here.”

Despite his concerns, the 29-year-old said he would “definitely” play doubles top seeds Nikola Mektic and Michael Venus again on Wednesday alongside Novak Djokovic, who beat Rinky Hijikata 6-3 6-3 later Tuesday night.

Previously, Alexei Popyrin’s Australian Open preparations hit a roadblock when he was defeated by Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in the first round.

The Australian world number 24 was beaten 6-3 6-2 on Tuesday, with Arnaldi moving to 3-1 in his career head-to-head in the process.

Popyrin will be seeded for the first time at next month’s Australian Open after a 2024 led by his triumph at the Montreal Masters 1000 and loss to Novak Djokovic to reach the fourth round of the US Open.

He has a game that Australian tennis great John Newcombe believes can take him into the top 10 in the world next year.

But the world number 37 Italian, two years younger than Popyrin at 23, showed how competitive the field was in a 68-minute procession.

Australian world number 93 Adam Walton then pushed fifth-seeded American Frances Tiafoe, who saved set points in the first set before turning the tables in a 7-6 (7-5) victory and 6-3.

The second day began with the withdrawal of fifth seed and world number 22 Sebastian Korda (lower back), the American replaced in the main draw by Dusan Lajovic, who then beat Arthur Cazaux.

Aleksandar Vukic and Jordan Thompson have already secured Australia’s presence in the second round after impressive victories in Brisbane.