'F***ing insane': Crowd's savage act leaves Nick Kyrgios fuming
A day after Nick Kyrgios’s controversial win over Rafael Nadal, the Mexican Open crowd didn’t forgive the Aussie star.
Kyrgios was back in action against Stan Wawrinka, 24 hours after he was resoundingly booed after beating Nadal.
The world No.72 went on to defeat his old rival Wawrinka in a drama-filled thriller across two hours and 30 minutes of high-quality tennis.
But Kyrgios received more of the same as the crowd booed him as he made his way out onto court.
In unsavoury scenes during the opening game of the match, spectators jeered and booed Kyrgios when he suffered a legitimate injury.
Nick Kyrgios misses the ground with this right footing and tumbles down still holding his racket. Bruises and blood on his right hand. Drama from the get go #AbiertoMexicano https://t.co/pKX02ih7KR
— Vanni Gibertini (@vgibertini) March 1, 2019
The Aussie stumbled during a rally and grazed his hand on the court, leaving him with a nasty split across his knuckles.
Kyrgios was bleeding and couldn’t continue, calling for the trainer for some running repairs.
But the Mexico crowd wasn’t impressed, booing Kyrgios for the delay.
“Unfortunately for him there’s so many instances of where there’s gamesmanship potentially – that every time something as innocent and innocuous as this, there’ll be people in the crowd and some people watching will think ‘here we go again, it’s Nick Kyrgios’,” one commentator said.
“Which is rather unfair.”
Kyrgios was heard expressing his disdain.
“What is f***ing wrong with these f***ing people,” Kyrgios asked the trainer about the boos.
“There’s blood all over my hand, what the f*** do you want me to do?
“This is f***ing insane.”
Kyrgios with blood in his fingers and being booed wtf
— #respectcarlosramos 🌈🏳️🌈 (@teamgeinebr) March 1, 2019
Kyrgios booed even when he's bleeding
— JJWTFRU (@j8tennis) March 1, 2019
Okay… Nick being booed as he walked onto the court is a lot. C’mon, that’s so uncalled for.
It was smart of Nick to keep on his @beatsbydre headphones. Block out the haters! 🎧😏#NKRising 🆚 #StanTheMan #Kyrgios 🇦🇺 🆚 🇨🇭#Wawrinka #AMT2019 #ATP #tennis
— Kimberly A. Woodard (@BeingKimmie) March 1, 2019
Crowd in Acapulco giving Kyrgios' a hard time for taking medical break in first game…Booing him…Cut hand in four places after fall…Kyrgios' not impressed with crowd and rightly so #ATP #AMT2019
— John Horn (@SportsHorn) March 1, 2019
Kyrgios’s war of words with Nadal
On Thursday, Kyrgios returned serve at Rafael Nadal, saying he wouldn’t “listen at all” to the world No.2 after the Spaniard said he needed to show more respect to himself, his opponents and the crowd.
The Australian displayed some of his best form when beating Nadal in a tight three-setter at the Mexican Open on Wednesday in Acapulco but the high-quality spectacle didn’t translate into positive words for the former world No.13.
There were several flashpoints in the match but Nadal appeared most incensed when Kyrgios complained about the time this year’s Australian Open runner-up was taking between points on the Canberran’s serve.
It prompted Nadal to say in a post-match media conference that Kyrgios should be fighting for grand slams under the No.1 ranking but “lacks respect for the crowd, his opponent and towards himself”.
Responding after Nadal’s comments, Kyrgios seemed non-plussed.
“I’m different. Rafa’s different. He can focus on what he needs to do,” Kyrgios said.
“He doesn’t know the journey I’ve been through. He doesn’t know anything about me so I’m not going to listen at all.”
with AAP
