'Never seen this': Wimbledon rocked by 'horrible' Nick Kyrgios moment
Nick Kyrgios became the latest big name to take a scary tumble on the Wimbledon grass on Wednesday before completing an incredible win over Ugo Humbert.
The Aussie star prevailed 6-4 4-6 3-6 6-1 9-7 after three hours and 26 minutes of dazzling fare that only Kyrgios could produce.
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"Not bad for a part-time player," Kyrgios joked with the cheering crowd after the match.
The 26-year-old reckoned he'd been in agony overnight on Tuesday after the pair's match had been suspended just before the 11pm curfew when locked at 3-3 in the fifth because of the strain of playing his first match for nearly six months.
He then slipped and took a bad fall when the scores reached 6-6 on resumption and it looked momentarily as he writhed around the court that he might have to pull out.
Serena Williams and Adrian Mannarino retired hurt on Tuesday after similar mishaps, but Kyrgios refused to join them.
"I was always going to get up and play. I made it that far. I haven't been playing many tournaments. I'm here," he said.
"I'm like, 'Ah, going down' - it was pretty brutal. It hurt. My hip hurt.
"I just got back up and showed some resilience. Comes with age."
Tennis world erupts over 'insane' Nick Kyrgios drama
Twice he found himself a couple of points away from defeat, but just as in the pair's last magnificent five-set tussle in Melbourne at the Australian Open, Kyrgios just would not be denied.
The Australian finally broke Humbert to go into an 8-7 lead.
He then had to repel two break points from the brilliant young French 21st seed before banging an unreturnable serve down the T for one of the most dramatic wins of even his astounding career.
"My hip's fine," he reported later. "Very lucky. Obviously it's devastating to see some big names go out due to an injury like slipping on the court.
"Mannarino was putting on a great match against Federer. Obviously seeing Serena, the legend, go down, it's not easy. I'm very lucky it wasn't nothing too severe."
Tennis fans were left stunned by Kyrgios' nasty fall and the manner in which he bounced back to win.
Horrible fall for Nick Kyrgios on Court 1 and he’s left rolling around the grass in agony. Up now and looks set to continue… pic.twitter.com/VFmq09R8sS
— George Bellshaw (@BellshawGeorge) June 30, 2021
He is up and running. But that was ugly!
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) June 30, 2021
And just when I said that, Kyrgios had an awkward fall. What's with these courts man
— Siddharth (@caminnar) June 30, 2021
Kyrgios the latest to slip and fall. I've just never seen this many happen. This is crazy
— Matt Dowell (@MattDowellTV) June 30, 2021
What a game! Crazy match from Kyrgios and Humbert #Wimbledon
— Jan (@lfcharveyel) June 30, 2021
Crazy.
Ugo Humbert is definitely one to watch out for.
Nick Kyrgios putting on a show as usual. Very talented. https://t.co/w9bncFBNhD— Ahana Randall (@AhanaRandall) June 30, 2021
The fact that Kyrgios—someone who (1) hadn't played a professional match in five months, (2) didn't have his typical groundstroke pace, and (3) has never had a professional coach—just won a match against a very good up & comer just speaks to his insane talent.
— Legal Realist (@LegalRealist) June 30, 2021
Great match! Nick is always very entertaining to watch and I'm so glad he won! 😊👏 But it was horrible to see him take that nasty fall. Two players out yesterday, Andy Murray kept slipping the other day and both Isner and Kyrgios fell today. It's not good enough. 🙈 #Wimbledon
— Siobhan 🇬🇬 (@slinehan1) June 30, 2021
Remarkably, Kyrgios' victory came after he'd arrived in the UK from Australia just four days ago and hadn't played a warm-up event.
"A lot of people were telling me there's no chance, there's no point in you going with that short preparation, no chance you can come off the couch and compete at this level," he said.
"I'm like, 'Dude, I know my game, I know how to play on grass.' I've been playing this sport since I was seven years old.
"I don't really care what anyone says. I'm my own person.
"I prepare the way I prepare and it worked. I'm not scared of anyone in the draw."
Kyrgios will next take on World No.77 Gianluca Mager from Italy.
with AAP
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