Nick Kyrgios’s concentration failure was again the focus of attention as he threw away his advantage against Andreas Seppi amid chuntering, tweeners and underarm serves.
Even his overarm first serves ranged from a fiery 136mph down to a lowly 88mph and groundstrokes ranged from scorched forehands into the corner to loose backhands that struggled to make the tramlines.
Seppi did play one shot behind his back, but only because he was wrong-footed by Kyrgios as he tried to come back from a set and a break down.
But in the end, nothing the Australian produced could undo the damage and the world no. 74 completed a 7-6, 6-1 victory in just 65 mins.
Kyrgios admitted to team-mates he became distracted at the Laver Cup when he spotted a “hot chick” in the crowd who he “wanted to marry”.
So it was interesting to see the tournament referee had chosen to put a female umpire, Aurelie Tourte, in the umpire’s chair.
Yet it had all started so well for Kyrgios.
An early break saw him race through to the end of the opening set, which is when the histrionics began.
However, the controversial underarm serve trick that he produced in the fifth game of the match led to nothing but chuckles as it flew tamely into the net.
An exhibitionist ‘tweener’ shot between his legs when he thought he was near to closing out the first set, landed in at least.
But occasionally he was reaching for his shoulder which curtailed his Laver Cup involvement, whirling his arm between points in a sign that everything is not quite right with his formidable weapon.
In the end, though, it was the mind that imploded.
A double fault and a drop shot dumped into the net meant he failed to serve out that first set.
Then chuntering to himself wildly at the start of the tie-break, Kyrgios lost the first three points and though he recovered initially, Seppi’s cool methodical play got him through.
No shot clock needed here, with both men racing between the points – Kyrgios by now seeming in a rush to go home.
Easy put-aways were being missed and Seppi broke and broke again.
A final hold for the Italian was all it took as Kyrgios departed, head bowed, to think hard about his mental game once again.
Or probably not.
