Nick Kyrgios has hailed the resurgence in Australian men’s tennis after brushing off another “misunderstanding” with officials to join 20-year-old countrymen Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin in the last 32 of the US Open men’s singles.
Kyrgios staged a pre-match protest over a logo dispute before eventually toeing the line and notching a comfortable 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 win over French wildcard Antoine Hoang.
The Australian took to Grandstand court with the words “Just Do You” emblazoned on the inside of his raised collar but the tournament supervisor instructed Kyrgios to change 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.”
Kyrgios was later told he could display the logo loud and proud in future matches at Flushing Meadows.
“I knew that the supervisor was wrong when I was out there – but I just folded my collar down,” said Kyrgios, knowing he is already facing two ATP investigations for his conduct during and after his previous two matches in Cincinnati and New York.
The firebrand said he was trying to keep his nose clean, but you wouldn’t know it after he claimed the ATP was “pretty corrupt” for fining him $US117,000 for his outburst in Cincinnati a fortnight ago, then back-tracked and accused the governing body of having “double standards” following his first-round win.
“New York has a fair few distractions, so I am trying to stay away from that,” he said. “I want to really try and strap in and do well this week. I am just trying to stay focused.”
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 Popyrin in the fourth round after the fast-rising 20-year-old continued his superb first full season at the slams with a 2-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 win over world No 47 Mikhail Kukushkin.
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. De Minaur booked a date with world No 7 and former finalist Kei Nishikori with his 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 win over seeded Chilean Christan Garin.
“De Min, I never expect anything less from him, he’s an absolute warrior. He can beat a lot of good players,” Kyrgios said. “When I see him progressing through a draw, I know it’s a nightmare for anyone who comes across him.
“Obviously Popyrin had a pretty good win today. Kukushkin is a savvy veteran. I’m not surprised when those guys win matches at all. They’re capable of doing some big things.”
But Thanasi Kokkinakis’s tournament is 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.
Alja Tomljanovic also bowed out, blowing a set a a break lead in a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 second-round women’s singles loss to Estonia’s world No 21 Anett Kontaveit.
