MEN’S TOUR NEWS FROM KUALA LUMPUR AND SHENZHEN: MATOSEVIC TAKES DOWN KYRGIOS BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 23rd September 2014

MEN'S TOUR NEWS FROM KUALA LUMPUR AND SHENZHEN: MATOSEVIC TAKES DOWN KYRGIOS BY RICKY DIMON

epa04376952 Nick Kyrgios of Australia reacts during his match against Tommy Robredo of Spain during the sixth day of the 2014 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 30 August 2014. The US Open runs through 08 September, a 15-day schedule. EPA/JASON SZENES |

Nick Kyrgios’ breakout 2014 campaign is over. Citing burnout, Kyrgios withdrew from his remaining tournaments this season aside from the current Malaysian Open. His swansong did not go well, as the 19-year-old lost an all-Australian showdown with Marinko Matosevic 7-6(4), 7-6(3) during first-round action on Tuesday.

Kuala Lumpur summary

Matosevic is joined in the second round by two players who won matches in third-set tiebreakers. Philipp Petzschner outlasted fellow qualifier James Ward 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(5) and Pierre-Hugues Herbert battled past Bernard Tomic 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(7). Herbert saved two match points en route to a round-two meeting with either Benjamin Becker or Metz runner-up Joao Sousa. Petzschner will go up against No. 2 seed Ernests Gulbis on Thursday.

Other Tuesday winners were Rajeev Ram, Go Soeda, Jarkko Nieminen, and Pablo Andujar. Ram earned a Wednesday night date with top seed and U.S. Open finalist Kei Nishikori by overcoming U.S. Open junior champion Omar Jasika 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Shenzhen summary

Each of this week’s two tournaments lost one seed apiece on Tuesday, as Gilles Simon made sure Kyrgios was not alone in getting caught by the upset bug. The fifth-seeded Simon went down to Ricardas Berankis 6-4, 6-2 in just one hour and 19 minutes at the Shenzhen Open.

“He’s a great player and it’s one of the best wins ever for me in my career so far,” Berankis assured. “I really feel great here. I feel confident, especially after beating Gilles, and I look forward to another match.”

Next up for the Lithuanian is Lukas Lacko, who defeated Evgeny Donskoy 6-1, 7-6(4). Berankis and Lacko are joined in the last 16 by Viktor Troicki, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Santiago Giraldo, Sam Groth, Andreas Seppi, Vasek Pospisil, and Gilles Muller.

Briefs

* Matosevic tops Kyrgios, needs two more wins for top 70.

* Soeda wins all-Japanese matchup, likely needs quarterfinal for top 100.

* Simon falls to Berankis, down at least three spots to 37th.

* Berankis likely to climb at least seven places, but may need semifinal for top 100.

* Troicki into top 160, one more win could be enough for top 150.

* Kokkinakis making double-digit move, approaching top 170.

* Groth downs Duckworth, quarterfinal would guarantee top 90.

* Muller holds off Chiudinelli, needs semifinal for top 50.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

Topics: Bernard Tomic, Go Soeda, James Ward, Jarkko Nieminen, Kei Nishikori, Kuala Lumpur, Marinko Matosevic, Nick Kyrgios, Philipp Petzschner, Pierre-Hugues Herbert, Rajeev Ram, Ricky Dimon, Shenzhen, Tennis, Tennis News, Vasek Pospisil

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10sBalls_com says:

September 23, 2014 at 10:48 am

MEN’S TOUR NEWS FROM #KUALALUMPUR AND #SHENZHEN: #MATOSEVIC TAKES DOWN @NickKyrgios BY @RD_Tennistalk- http://t.co/IkOB8lBtP2 #tennis #ATP
RD_Tennistalk says:

September 23, 2014 at 10:54 am

RT @10sBalls_com: MEN’S TOUR NEWS FROM #KUALALUMPUR AND #SHENZHEN: #MATOSEVIC TAKES DOWN @NickKyrgios BY @RD_Tennistalk- http://t.co/IkOB8l…