Kyrgios in bizarre exchange with reporter over 'rift' with Hewitt

Nick Kyrgios hasn’t exactly offered a glowing endorsement of Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt.

Bernard Tomic dropped a grenade on Australian tennis on Monday night with claims that not only he but Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis no longer want to play Davis Cup under Hewitt.

“He’s ruined the system,” Tomic said after his first-round Australian Open loss to Marin Cilic.

Kyrgios was asked what he made of Tomic’s comments on Tuesday night after his straight-sets loss to Milos Raonic, delivering a bizarre response that didn’t do much to shut down the allegations.

Kyrgios claimed he didn’t see Tomic’s comments, and replied “not really” when asked if there was a rift between himself and Hewitt.

When the reporter responded “not really?”, Kyrgios said “is there an echo in here?”

“Bernard named you and Kokkinakis as both having told him that you don’t want to play while Lleyton is captain. How do you respond to that?” the reporter continued.

“I don’t know what to say. Like, I don’t have a big deal with anything,” replied Kyrgios.

“I’ve always wanted to play Davis Cup. I love Davis Cup. If I don’t play, I don’t play. Like, I’m available. That’s all I got to say. Like, what do you want from me?”

Kokkinakis, Ebden fall short of supporting Hewitt

Kokkinakis also did little to douse the flames when he declined to endorse the skipper after his first-round retirement against Taro Daniel – which he partially blamed on a gruelling qualifying campaign after being overlooked by Hewitt for an Open wildcard nomination.

“I”m not answering that,” Kokkinakis said when asked if he supported Hewitt staying on as Cup captain for Australia’s qualifying tie next month in Adelaide against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Australian No.3 Matt Ebden – overlooked for September’s World Group playoff loss in Austria – also raised concerns over Hewitt’s captaincy credentials.

Ebden said “there’s clearly some issues that need to be addressed with the players and Tennis Australia, with Davis Cup and the players and the group as a whole”.

Newcombe goes in to bat for Hewitt

But John Newcombe, who first introduced Hewitt to the Davis Cup fold as an orange boy back in 1997, is urging the former world No.1 to stick to his guns and continue driving a cultural change in Australian tennis.

Newcombe applauded Hewitt for rewarding hard workers with Cup selection – and grand slam wildcards – rather than picking players on reputation.

“I think Lleyton’s doing an unbelievable job,” Newcombe told AAP.

“I said to Lleyton the other day: ‘Things that are being said and all that, take the high ground.

“You don’t have to defend yourself. Everyone sees what you’re doing out there. You’re busting your arse, you’ve got a great group of young people working for you that are all working at 100 per cent.

“‘They all love you, they respect what you’re doing for them and, if people want to bad name you, well okay that’s their opinion’.

“The general public can see what Lleyton’s doing, but every time Bernie gets a microphone he attacks Tennis Australia or someone in it.”

Newcombe’s backing of Hewitt is reflected in the rankings.

Alex de Minaur, John Millman and Jordan Thompson – who led Australia in September’s World Group playoff in Austria – are now all ahead of Kyrgios, who is projected to slide to No.67 in the world after his earliest Open exit in six appearances.

Tomic (84) and Kokkinakis (132) are further down the pecking order on rankings.

with AAP