Kyrgios goes down to rising French star, Djokovic wins through in Brisbane
Nick Kyrgios says he has to accept he will play in pain for the rest of his career following his gallant three-set defeat to Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at the Brisbane International.
Kyrgios lost 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3) in a two-and-a-half hour epic that left both players drained.
It was that two-hour-thirty-minute ordeal on Pat Rafter Arena that led Kyrgios to say it would take “a miracle” for his wrist to hold up in a grand slam, starting with the Australian Open in a fortnight.
However, Kyrgios, playing his first singles match since July 2023, was left the sorer thanks to the experimental surgery on his wrist that helped save his career.
“I’ve got six holes in my hand, and one in my arm,” Kyrgios said.
“Not one tennis player has ever had this surgery and come back and tried to play again.
“It’s all really an experimental kind of situation. The surgeon said, ‘If you ever go back and play at this level again, it’s on you guys. I don’t really have any protocol of how it’s
going to be or how it’s going to pull up’.
“So me and my physio, we are taking it as it comes. If we can get through a match, we get through a match.
Kyrgios needed treatment on his arm at the end of the first set. (AAP Image: Jono Searle)
“How it pulls up tomorrow, I have no idea. It’s throbbing like shit right now.”
Kyrgios said even if he had won the match, there was no guarantee that he would be able to front up and play again in the second round.
He reassured reporters that he would continue to play doubles with Novak Djokovic, who beat Australian Rinky Hijikata in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 to conclude New Year’s Eve’s matches.
“I felt relatively pretty good physically,” Kyrgios said.
“My legs and my body felt really good. I felt fit, and I’m in great shape, but obviously felt some discomfort with the wrist.
“He does serve and hit the ball a lot bigger than probably some of the people that I practised with in the last year.
“If I did win that match, I’m honestly not sure if I’d be able to play my second round.”
Kyrgios said he was willing to continue to push his body “for a little bit” but said it boiled down to how much discomfort he could manage.
“Going out there again and playing a top player like that … I was 4-2 down in the third-set tie-break [and at the] change of ends I was still smiling to myself,” he said.
“We’re right in the heat of the battle, where 18 months ago, if you asked me and my physio and my coach that’s here this week, he was feeding me fluffy balls on my wrist.
“We were not expecting to be here playing again and at such a high level.
“There is a lot of positives. But it’s how much do I want to take of the trauma on the body, the pain.
“Now, there’s just constant pain in that wrist.”
Kyrgios said Monday’s doubles match left him feeling like he had been “hit by a bus” and needed over an hour of treatment before going to bed.
“But we know that’s how it’s going to be,” he said.
Look back at how all the tennis action unfolded in our blog.
Key Events
Happy New Year!
And that’s where we will end today’s coverage of the various tennis tournaments taking place ahead of the Australian Open.
Make sure to join us again tomorrow when we get to do it all again.
In the meantime, Happy New Year to all our readers and best wishes for 2025!
Brisbane International: Djokovic sails through to last 16
Novak Djokovic finishes 2024 on a winning note with a clinical 6-3, 6-3 defeat of Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata.
Djokovic, the top seed in Brisbane, was in cruise control from the outset and will now face former top-10 player Gaël Monfils in the round of 16.
He is also still alive in the men’s doubles draw, playing alongside Nick Kyrgios.
In a late result in the women’s singles, seventh seed Jelena Ostapenko is out of the tournament following a 7-6 (7/0), 6-4 loss to Marie Bouzková.
Brisbane International: Djokovic breaks Hijikata in second set
Novak Djokovic is on the verge of moving through to the next round after breaking Rinky Hijikata’s serve in the seventh game of the second set.
The former world number one leads 4-3, having earlier won the first set 6-3.
United Cup: US sweeps Croatia
US duo Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz added the icing on the cake with victory over Croatia in the mixed doubles rubber in Perth.
Gauff and Fritz — who had earlier won their respective singles matches — encountered little trouble in getting past Petra Marčinko and Ivan Dodig 6-2, 6-3.
The result gave the top-seeded US a 3-0 whitewash against Croatia
The Americans had booked their spot in the quarterfinals earlier in the tie.
Brisbane International: Djokovic wins first set
Novak Djokovic claims the first set against Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata, 6-3.
Seeded number one in Brisbane, Djokovic wrapped up the first in 39 minutes on the back of an early break of Hijikata’s serve.
Brisbane International: Full steam ahead for Djokovic
Novak Djokovic appears he’s in a rush to make sure he doesn’t miss the New Year’s Eve fireworks in the River City.
Djokovic leapt out to a 3-0 lead against Rinky Hijikata, although the Australian avoided a ‘bagel’ by holding serve in the fourth game.
Brisbane International: Andreeva stays alive but Kalinskaya exits
A mixed days for the seeds in the women’s singles draw in Brisbane.
Eighth-seeded Mirra Andreeva defeated fellow Russian Anna Blinkova 6-4, 6-4 in the round of 32.
But another Russian, sixth seed Anna Kalinskaya, is out of the tournament after losing in straight sets to Ashylyn Krueger of the US.
Krueger came out on top against the Australian Open quarterfinalist 6-3, 6-3.
Canberra International: Aussie Preston advances to last 16
Catching up on some of the other results, there’s great news for Australia with Taylah Preston reaching the last 16 in Canberra.
Preston, ranked 170, defeated Turkish world number 234 İpek Öz in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).
She will face Canada’s Marina Stakusic in the round of 16.
Preston joins fellow Australia Petra Hule in the next stage of the main draw.
Brisbane International: Djokovic facing Hijikata
As we get our breath back …
Following that epic between Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Nick Kyrgios, it’s now the turn of 24-time major singles champion Novak Djokovic to enter Pat Rafter Arena.
The former world number one meets Rinky Hijikata for a spot in the round of 16.
Brisbane International: Kyrgios goes down to Mpetshi Perricard
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard wins!
Mpetshi Perricard prevails in a gripping three-setter against Nick Kyrgios, winning 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3) on Pat Rafter Arena.
Kyrgios can be proud of his effort after two hours and 27 minutes on court, especially given his long stint on the sidelines.
But the French have a brilliant prospect on their hands, with 31st-ranked Mpetshi Perricard sending down a staggering 30 aces in a breathtaking serving performance.
What a display from both players!
Mpetshi Perricard, 21, will play fourth seed Frances Tiafoe in the next round.
Kyrgios’s Brisbane International campaign isn’t over, as the Australian will again team up with Novak Djokovic in the doubles.
Speaking of Djokovic, he’s next up on Pat Rafter Arena as he takes on Australian Rinky Hijikata.
Brisbane International: Mpetshi Perricard gets on top
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard leads 4-1 in the tie-break.
Nick Kyrgios is going to have to dig deep to get back from this point after giving up an early mini-break.
Brisbane International: Tie-break to decide Kyrgios-Mpetshi Perricard thriller
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Nick Kyrgios both hold serve to level the third set at 6-6.
You know the drill …
We’re off to another tie-break.
Brisbane International: Mpetshi Perricard produces a game of aces
Each time Nick Kyrgios raises the bar in the serving stakes, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard is ready to answer the challenge.
The French talent reels off four consecutive aces to hold serve to love in the ninth game.
He leads 5-4, with Kyrgios about to serve …
And Kyrgios holds and we’re level at 5-5.
Brisbane International: Kyrgios holds at 4-4
A series of aces clinches Nick Kyrgios his latest service game, with the third set now locked at 4-4.
Neither player is blinking at this stage.
Brisbane International: Third set going on serve
Rinse and repeat …
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Nick Kyrgios both hold their most recent service games as the third set sits at 3-3.
Brisbane International: Kyrgios holds early in the third set
Nick Kyrgios holds to love to level the third and deciding set against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at 2-2.
This has been an enthralling contest, with Kyrgios providing a catalogue of highlights and Mpetshi Perricard showing why he is a star on the rise.
Brisbane International: Kyrgios fights back from a break point
Nick Kyrgios needed to dig deep to get himself out of trouble in his opening service game in the third set.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard had a break point, but Kyrgios searched through his bag of tricks and came up with the answer to hold serve and level at 1-1.
Brisbane International: Kyrgios levels at a set apiece
And we’re headed to a third set!
Nick Kyrgios has brought the Pat Rafter Arena crowd to its feet by winning the second set against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a tie-breaker (7-4).
We’re going the distance!
Brisbane International: Kyrgios on top in tie-break
I hope I’m not jinxing Nick Kyrgios’s legion of fans, but the Australian is 4-1 up in the tie-breaker.
Brisbane International: Tie-break, anyone?
We knew we were going here again …
A tie-break will decide the second set between Nick Kyrgios and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard after both hold serve.
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