Nick Kyrgios is reported to be ‘shattered’ after his hopes of playing the Australian Open were plunged into doubt after injuring both his left knee and back in Sydney’s Apia International.
The 19 year-old Aussie was playing his first match on the ATP World Tour in almost four months but appeared in obvious discomfort in the closing stages of his 6-1, 6-7, 7-6 first round loss to Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz at the Homebish Olympic Stadium.
Nick Kyrgios of Australia returns to Jerzy Janowicz of Poland during their first round match at the Apia International tennis tournament in Sydney, Australia, 13 January 2015. EPA/DAN HIMBRECHTS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
Kyrgios left court for immediate treatment but emerged from the locker room to give a hugely pessimistic report of his well-being. “I am obviously shattered that I haven’t had the right preparation at all for all these tournaments,” the exciting talent who knocked Rafael Nadal out of last year’s Wimbledon.
“I am just doing whatever I can to get out there and compete but I am not at the level I would like to be at.”
Even though Kyrgios has not played on the tour since last September’s Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur, maintaining he was feeling the onset of fatigue burn-out, he looked fit, well and motivated playing for Singapore Slammers in the International Premier League during December.
Nick Kyrgios of Australia celebrates with his teammates during an International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) match between the Micromax Indian Aces and the Singapore Slammers at the indoor stadium in Singapore, 03 December 2014. The IPTL is on its second leg in Singapore, after starting in the Phillipines, and will continue on in India and then Dubai. The league features four teams made out of a hybrid mix of current and former men’s and women’s players. EPA/WALLACE WOON
However he maintained: “I can only do so much for the Australian Open I guess. I can only do so much so we’ll see how it goes.”
World no.50 Kyrgios has been troubled by a succession of injuries during his short career, ranging from shoulder issues to bone stress in his serving arm following the win over Nadal at Wimbledon last year. Just last week he was forced to withdraw from Australia’s team at the Hopman Cup because of back pain.
After a brief chat with his coach Todd Larkham, Kyrgios reiterated: “I’m not too sure what I’m going to now. I am shattered at the moment and so I don’t really know what I am going to do.”
Story via Bob Larson Tennis News Service.
Topics: Apia International, Atp, Australian Open, Jerzy Janowicz, Nick Kyrgios, Tennis
-@NickKyrgios MIGHT NOT PLAY IN THE @AustralianOpen ? WE HOPE HE IS OK AND CAN PLAY- http://t.co/viPXtzg29g #AustralianOpen #ATP #tennis