BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — The new doubles team of Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios are out of the Brisbane International in the second round.
The pair, granted a wild-card entry by tournament organizers, lost 6-2, 3-6, 10-8 Wednesday to the top-seeded team of Nikola Mektic of Croatia and New Zealander Michael Venus.
A Djokovic double-fault with the duo leading 8-6 in the match tiebreak was key to the defeat as they lost the last four points of the match.
“Incredible,” Mektic told the sold-out crowd. “I was very happy when I saw them, I could play them on the first of January. It’s an amazing feeling to start the year like this and we knew there would be points like that against players like this.”
DJokovic and Kyrgios won their opening doubles match, a crowd-pleasing, fist-pumping affair by both players at Pat Rafter Arena.
Kyrgios lost his opening singles match on Tuesday after an 18-month absence from the tour due to injuries. Djokovic won his first singles match on the same day and will next play Gael Monfils, who he has a 19-0 record against.
___
AP tennis:
Reilly Opelka will take on Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the Brisbane International Presented by Evie semifinals on Saturday, January 4. Mpetshi Perri
ATP 250 Brisbane semifinals Lehecka – Dimitrov: 04.01.2025 06:00 CESTH2H: 2-1 Jiri Lehecka has won four of his last five matches. Lehecka had a great seas
Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov are the two highest-ranked Canadian players on the ATP Tour.Auger-Aliassime was once one of tennis’ brightest pros
Novak Djokovic looked puzzled.Djokovic is not someone who is accustomed to being puzzled.When you have been on tour for over 20 years, played 1,346 matches at A