US Open 2019: Excuses, theatrics, and bucketload of errors highlight Nick Kyrgios' third-round loss to Andrey Rublev

Whenever Nick Kyrgios steps up on the court, you’d be assured of dramatics. And no, we’re not talking about action on either side of the net. It could be unnecessary theatrics, tantrums or having a go at someone or the other. If after beating Steve Johnson the leading storyline was the Aussie calling ATP “corrupt” (which he later clarified) then it was a clash with authorities over his shirt message. Move to the third round, against Andrey Rublev, and the dramatics continued.

Rather the dramatics started even before the players stepped up to the court. Kyrgios was particularly entertained by Daniil Medvedev’s sarcastic speech on-court after his win over Feliciano Lopez.

He tweeted “Hahaha I rateeeee what medvedev said to the crowd last night” while changing his Twitter header to the image of the Russian flipping off the crowd. When the ban for Medvedev was announced, $9000, the Aussie tweeted, “My spit is gonna be on eBay later for 20k.” Real mature.

Not done. He had a pop at the ESPN commentator Tom Rinaldi. “Who the hell is Tom Rinaldi and why he is commentating a tennis match when he has no idea what’s going on,” tweeted Nick. Lo-and-behold who gets to interview Kyrgios pre-match? Yes, Tom Rinaldi!

Awkward 😅

Nick Kyrgios tweeted about Tom Rinaldi's tennis analysis and then had to do a pre-match interview with him the same day #USOpen pic.twitter.com/uSI65AifXI

— ESPN (@espn) September 1, 2019

Stepping on to the court. Rublev and Kyrgios had met just once earlier, last year in Moscow, where Kyrgios won in three sets. Rublev, then ranked 78th in the world, dropped outside the top-100 in the recovery period from a stress fracture, before climbing back. He has since beaten five top-20 players and three inside the top-10 including, most recently, Roger Federer in Cincinnati (the Swiss’ quickest defeat in 16 years). This past week he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas to further highlight how he was Russia’s No 1 ahead of Daniil Medvedev and Karen Khachanov.

Moving right along to the match itself. By his lofty standards of bad behaviour, Kyrgios was at his best on Arthur Ashe Stadium. All the non-tennis drama was restricted to the first set and early second set. Just three games in, Kyrgios needed eye drops as he complained of being “blinded by the lights” — something he claimed was due to the amount of Call of Duty video games he played.

“I throw the ball up in the air and I can’t see for, like, 30 seconds after,” he said at one point, adding that he was guessing where the next ball was going to be when he tried to hit it.

There was more trouble to come. The linesman reported Kyrgios for allegedly swearing and chair umpire Eva Asderaki checked in on the claim. To which Nick brandished the official as a “whistleblower” and explaining all he said was, “I said I can’t see a thing. That’s all I said.”

It is tough being Kyrgios and it is even tougher understanding Kyrgios. Most players would be upset by the chatter with the chair umpire but seemingly not Nick. In the very next game, Kyrgios sent down four aces in a 43 second game!

“Gaming, bro. Call of Duty has ruined me,” Kyrgios moaned to his team in the player box early in the second set. He later claimed: “I don’t even want to be here, bro. I just wanna be home”.

And he didn’t have to stay there for long. It appeared throughout, but significantly so in the third set, that Kyrgios would much rather be away from the court, taking an ice bath and then readying to return to his video games.

In a match of thin margins with two sets going to tiebreaks after just six break points between the two players, it was Rublev who stayed consistent. The Russian saw off 30 aces from Kyrgios and some incredible play at the net to win 7-6, 7-6, 6-3 to set up a fourth-round clash with Matteo Berrettini.

But the difference-maker in Kyrgios’ third-round exit, which continues to be his best showing in New York, were the 38 unforced errors made by the Aussie. More tellingly, they came in crucial moments of the match.

In the seventh game of the second set, Kyrgios erred on consecutive forehands but roared back with breathtaking play at the net. The foray to doubles helping Nick get out of jail even as the errors pile up. Unforced error count at this stage read: Kyrgios 20, Rublev 6.

Nick Kyrgios' new Twitter cover pic 😭

(via @QuentinMoynet) pic.twitter.com/V0TPrH4MJC

— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) August 31, 2019

If Kyrgios had his big serve and immaculate touch at the net, Rublev matched the Aussie from the back of the court. And in most cases, outhit him — not many can say that. The Russian would bring out the big guns with huge backhand winners down the line and deep into the court to nullify Kyrgios’ quick movement.

In the tiebreak, Kyrgios led 4-0 and looked on course to levelling the match. But Rublev kept battling and Nick kept throwing it away with rising errors. As the Russian reeled off seven of next eight points, he had taken a two-set lead much to many people’s surprise. Unforced error count at this stage: Kyrgios 28, Rublev 8.

“He played great tonight. Was super aggressive. I never felt comfortable,” Kyrgios said after the match. “That was just credit to him playing his game. Yeah, it was tough. I mean, I had chances. I just didn’t take them … nowhere near my best tennis, but it is what it is.”

Those chances came in the second set tiebreak and had dwindled by the third. Rublev was in the flow of things and Nick wasn’t. Both players served big and did so consistently so the opportunities of getting a look in were rare. Rublev got one in the sixth game of the third for the necessary cushion and he held on to it.

With match out of sight and probably out of mind for Nick, the plan was to get done quickly. For two consecutive change of ends, the Aussie preferred to walk along to the other side than to regroup and re-energise himself. When he served, the plan was to go big and close it out with little time spent. He achieved that late into the third when one service hold needed all of 28 seconds with ball boys not even ready on most points!

💪 @AndreyRublev97 💪

The Russian defeats Kyrgios 7-6, 7-6, 6-3 and will face Berrettini in R4...#USOpen pic.twitter.com/AsrCaVcioP

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2019

This tactic to rush things along didn’t bother Rublev. He moved from one side of the court to the next, reaped benefits of Kyrgios’ error-prone game and stayed aggressive with his returns on serve and in the middle of a rally.

Soon enough, Rublev served and Kyrgios’ return landed long and the match was over. Unforced error count at the end: Kyrgios 38, Rublev 14.

It needed an hour and 51 minutes and for the most part, Kyrgios would have liked to have stayed at home, unlike the Russian on the other side who cherished each and every moment of playing the even session at one of the biggest stadiums in the world.