AUSSIE UPDATE FROM THE 2014 US OPEN & DOWN UNDER TOO

Written by: Staff on 26th August 2014

AUSSIE UPDATE FROM THE 2014 US OPEN & DOWN UNDER TOO

epa04294073 Nick Kyrgios of Australia plays Rafael Nadal of Spain in their fourth round match during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 01 July 2014. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA |

Kyrgios Almost Got Defaulted In His First Match At US Open

Wimbledon sensation Nick Kyrgios is rapidly making a name for himself. But he came close to establishing a name for himself in the wrong way as he was just one indiscretion away from being the first player defaulted from a Grand Slam event in 14 years.

Kyrgios was facing 21st seed Mikhail Youzhny in the pair’s US Open first round match when the 19 year-old Australian was awarded a code violation warning by umpire Alison Hughes for hitting a ball out of the Court 17 arena as he tried to vent his frustration after losing the third set.

Clearly still angry, he later received first a point penalty and then a game penalty early in the fourth set for audible obscenities. Therefore he was just one more offence away from being the first player to be thrown out of a Grand Slam event since Stefan Koubek was disqualified from the French Open.

The now retired Austrian was disqualified from his second-round match at the French Open in 2000 after throwing his racket, which then hit a ball boy. He had already received three warnings during the match against Hungary’s Attila Savolt for coaching, previously throwing his racket and then making an audible obscenity.

Then Koubek was contrite but Kyrgios said temper was just part of his makeup and he maintained being unaware of being so close to disqualification. Speaking of playing with the threat hanging over him, he said: “I can’t even remember.”

Nick Kyrgios of Australia reacts during his quarter final match against Milos Raonic of Canada at the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 02 July 2014. EPA/TATYANA ZENKOVICH

Shows of angst on court are nothing new for Kyrgios and he admitted: “I guess it’s just the heat of the moment. I was frustrated the way I was playing. It was just an outburst and hopefully I will be able to control that the next time I play.”

Kyrgios does not believe his outbursts benefit his game and he said: “It comes from having high expectations most of the time. I have been an emotional player most of my career. Maybe I will be able to manage it in the future. It’s a work in progress but it’s something that has always been there.”

The Australian Davis Cup captain, Pat Rafter is refusing to join several of his illustrious colleagues like Pat Cash and Todd Woodbridge who are building Kyrgios up as something very special.

“It’s going to be very different for Nick here at the US Open after what he achieved at Wimbledon,” said two times champion of Flushing Meadows, Rafter. “He’s now the new guy everyone is going to want to put back in his place. The experienced guys will have been studying his game, seeing what he got and where he might be exploited.

“I’ll be honest, I think he’s still got a long way to go and a lot to learn. I’m interested to see how he goes the next couple of years. I’d like to think he’s got the potential to take information on board but I don’t know yet. Let’s just wait and see without getting too excited right now.”

Rafter’s trusted Davis Cup assistant Josh Eagle ( a Journeyman Dubs Player ) is now Kyrgios’s travelling coach and will doubtless be asking somebody with the local knowledge of a two times champion like Rafter to pass on a little bit of local knowledge on the vagaries of playing in a brash and raucous environment alien to so many great players over the years.

“This tournament is very different to Wimbledon and I would imagine it’s Nick’s kind of atmosphere,” continued Rafter. “To me this was always a place where there’s a lot going on, it’s fast and it’s crazy.

“A lot of players around my time didn’t like it and tapped out. I just thought it was a great opportunity to take advantage of opponents not adjusting the conditions very well. So I think it’s a great opportunity for players who can keep their minds together to do really well.”

Australian Junior Banned For One Year For Drug Violation

The proud heritage and image of Australian tennis, founded on legendary names such as Roy Emerson , Frank Sedgman, Rod Laver, Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall has taken another knock with the nation’s top-ranked junior player banned from the sport for a year after being found guilty of taking the party drug ecstasy.

Brad Mousley, the 18 year-old from Adelaide who is a back to back champion of the Australian Open junior title is the first player from his country ever to be sanctioned for the use of illegal drugs, either performance enhancing or recreational.

Mousley, currently the world’s 17th-ranked boys junior, admitted taking the drug at a party in March. He tested positive two days later after a qualifying match for a Futures tour event in Melbourne and appeared before an independent Tennis Australia tribunal.

His punishment was initially set to a two years ban from tennis but Mousley told the tribunal he had not taken the drug to enhance his performance.

Mousley’s father and coach Craig said his son made an irresponsible decision to take the drug.

“Brad realizes that it was a stupid and dangerous decision,” Craig Mousley told the Australian press. “We’re somewhat relieved because two years would have been devastating. But we still feel the penalty is severe.

“Brad is in training at the moment and he wants to come back from this but a one year ban is very significant at this stage of his development. It will take a pretty special person to be able to come back.”

Mousley’s suspension was backdated to the end of May this year, when he accepted a provisional ban.

Topics: Flushing Meadows, Nick Kyrgios, Tennis, Tennis News, US Open, Wimbledon

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August 26, 2014 at 10:11 am

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