Wimbledon 2015: Nick Kyrgios out to Richard Gasquet
- Published
Wimbledon 2015 |
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Dates: Until 12 July |
Play: 11:30 BST outside courts; 13:00 Centre Court and Court One |
BBC coverage: Live across TV, radio and online with up to 15 live streams |
Nick Kyrgios put on another petulant performance at Wimbledon during his fourth-round defeat by Richard Gasquet.
The 20-year-old Australian was booed when he appeared to stop trying in the second set after being given a code violation for bad language.
Kyrgios clashed repeatedly with British umpire James Keothavong as he lost 7-5 6-1 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (8-6) on court two.
The pair also argued when the 26th seed took too long to change his socks between games.
"I've taken one pair off," Kyrgios explained to Keothavong at the changeover. "I've got two on and I'm taking one pair off."
After Keothavong responded, Kyrgios said: "I'm staying on the court. If you're going to get angry with me for that, that's another level.
"Mate, Rafa (Rafael Nadal) and stuff play 30 seconds in between points every time and all I'm doing is putting my sock back on."
Kyrgios was a potential semi-final opponent for Djokovic but instead his campaign at SW19 ended with a defeat where his behaviour was again the talking point, rather than his tennis.
The 6ft 4in right-hander had already had an altercation with an umpire during his first-round win over Diego Schwartzman.
He did not produce any on-court antics as Gasquet took a tight first set thanks to some trademark swooping backhands, but Kyrgios imploded when he was broken at the start of the second set.
After his first run-in with Keothavong, who is the brother of former British number one Anne, Kyrgios seemed to deliberately concede the next game by swatting Gasquet's serve straight into the net or not bothering to attempt to return it at all. He ended the game by sarcastically applauding the umpire.
Kyrgios also hugged a ball boy and threw his racquet into the crowd during the third set - although he escaped another code violation for that offence.
Gasquet was not so lucky when he obliterated his racquet in front of the umpire after squandering two match points to lose the third set on a tie-break.
Kyrgios, who saved nine match points as he fought back from two sets down to beat the Frenchman on his way to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon last year, clearly scented another comeback.
After hitting some stunning winners, he served for the fourth set at 6-4 in another tie-break but Gasquet recovered and completed his victory in two hours and 53 minutes thanks to a Kyrgios double fault.
"He was a little bit angry, a little bit frustrated, I saw that," said Gasquet, who reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 2007.
"Sometimes it happens. He's not the only one to do it. Even the best player in the world did it in the past.
"It's good when the opponent is not playing good, is doing some mistakes. It's good for me. I have nothing to complain about it."
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