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'Show me the rule': Nick Kyrgios in bizarre pre-game blow up

Nick Kyrgios has kept his run of tense exchanges with umpires going during bizarre scenes that preceded his US Open second round match.

The Aussie firebrand has courted plenty of recent controversy after claiming the ATP was “corrupt” in the wake of his record Cincinnati Masters fine.

On Thursday (Friday AEST) at Flushing Meadows, Kyrgios found himself in the crosshairs of another umpire, before his match against Frenchman Antoine Hoang had even begun.

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Kyrgios, wearing a shirt from his clothing giant sponsor Nike, decided to turn up his collar to reveal a three word phrase.

Rather than the 'Just Do It' phrase that has become synonymous with Nike, Kyrgios' shirt revealed the words 'Just Do You'.

Nick Kyrgios was involved in a pre-match argument with US Open officials.
Nick Kyrgios was involved a pre-game argument with an official about his collar. Pic: US Open

But, in an apparent dress-code breach, the tournament supervisor instructed Kyrgios to change the shirt after the warm-up.

Kyrgios was initially having none of it, demanding to see the rule book.

"I'm not going to play until you show me the rule," he fumed.

"I want to know the rule. I want to see the rule.

"I've seen shirts worse."

The drama didn't seem to affect Kyrgios, with the Aussie breaking his French opponent to get off to a flying start.

The bizarre scenes drew a mixed reaction from fans on social media, with a packed house in the stands treated to some early soap opera.

Kyrgios, already facing two ATP investigations for his conduct during and after his previous two matches in Cincinnati and New York, reluctantly agreed to play with his collar down - then came out firing.

The 28th seed broke Hoang, the world No.104 and making his US Open debut, in the very first game of the match and never looked back.

Facing a potential suspension after the season's final grand slam as the ATP investigates his pair of "major offences", Kyrgios next plays Russian Andrey Rublev on Saturday for a place in the last 16.

He could meet countryman Alexei Popyrin in the fourth round after the fast-rising 20-year-old continued his superb first full season at the slams with a valiant four-set win over world No.47 Mikhail Kukushkin.

Nick Kyrgios was too good for Antoine Hoang in the second round.
Nick Kyrgios sealed a comfortable second round win at the US Open. Pic: Getty

Popyrin fought back from a set and a service break down to equal his charge to the Australian Open third round with a 2-6 7-5 6-3 6-2 victory over the seasoned Kazakh.

Popyrin will play Italian Matteo Berrettini after the 24th seed took out Australian No.3 Jordan Thompson 7-5 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-1.

Thanasi Kokkinakis's tournament is also over after the luckless star was forced to withdraw from his scheduled centre-court showdown with Rafael Nadal with a recurrence of a pec muscle strain.

Kokkinakis battled for almost four hours on Tuesday to beat Ilya Ivashka in four sets in what was the 24-year-old's first main-draw win at a grand slam since the 2015 French Open.

"I guess I'm just not ready for grand slams yet. It's a bitter pill to swallow," Kokkinakis said.

But Alex de Minaur joined Kyrgios and Popyrin in the third round with an impressive 6-3 7-5 6-3 win over seded Chilean Christan Garin.

Seventh seed Kei Nishikori, a finalist at Flushing Meadows in 2014, stands between de Minaur and a spot in the second week at a major for the first time.

With AAP