Kyrgios takes huge swipe at Hewitt in social media rampage

Nick Kyrgios appears to have burnt his bridges with Lleyton Hewitt with a stunning swipe at the Davis Cup captain in a since-deleted social media post.

Kyrgios initially declined to back Bernard Tomic’s inflammatory criticism of Hewitt but the firebrand lit up social media with his own attack on Wednesday night.

Kyrgios posted a screenshot on Instagram of Hewitt doing television sideline commentary from Alex de Minaur’s players’ box during his second round win.

Kyrgios posted a poll to his followers, asking whose match Hewitt was watching.

He provided two options: “Demon” and “No one else”.

Kyrgios removed the post not long after it appeared but it added weight to Tomic’s comments that there was a rift in the Davis Cup camp.

That post followed one by Kyrgios earlier this month on Twitter when he was asked why Hewitt didn’t watch he or Thanasi Kokkinakis play during the Brisbane International.

“He has what some call abandon us (sic),” Kyrgios responded in a tweet he later deleted and claimed he was joking.

‘Shut your mouth’

Kyrgios also lashed high profile tennis coach Roger Rasheed and former AFL champion Gerard Healy on Twitter, saying they have “zero idea”.

Speaking on radio Rasheed, a former coach of Hewitt and a long-time commentator, and Healy said they felt Kyrgios, as well as Tomic and Kokkinakis, needed to improve their footwork.

Kyrgios, who also crashed out in round one of the men’s doubles on Wednesday, didn’t take the advice well.

“You blokes all have zero idea. It’s comical people like yourself have an opinion of us. You blokes are anything but athletes, so how about you concentrate on your own shit. Zero credibility,” Kyrgios tweeted.

“Like please explain to me the similarities between afl and tennis. Shut your mouth.”

The 23-year-old said that Rasheed, who has also coached top Frenchmen Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, “should be ashamed”.

Now Australia’s fourth-ranked player, regardless of the comments, Kyrgios is unlikely to be needed for Australia’s Davis Cup qualifier next month against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Adelaide.

Millman goes in to bat for Hewitt

Australian No.2 John Millman said his experience playing Davis Cup under Hewitt had only been positive and felt the captain’s player selections had been justified.

“I’ve always felt actually quite well-supported by the captain, by the coach, by the support staff,” Millman said after his second round loss to Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.

But he also said he’d like to have Kyrgios and Tomic back in the fold.

Millman described Tomic as a “larrikin” and Kyrgios as a “top bloke”.

“I think sometimes we go a bit hard on him when you don’t see what he’s doing off the court,” Millman said of Kyrgios.

“He has his own charity and that’s more than me.

“I think sometimes we forget about those things when we’re just having a go at performances.”

Millman said any personality clashes were put aside once the Australian team got together.

“When we get in camp, it’s just all about getting the win.”