BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — If Nick Kyrgios was attempting to prove his match fitness after 18 months off the tour due to wrist and knee injuries, he did a good job on Tuesday, albeit in a losing cause at the Brisbane International.
In a match that lasted 2 hours, 27 minutes at Pat Rafter Arena, 21-year-old Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard of France beat the 29-year-old Australian in three tiebreak sets — 7-6 (2), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3).
The hard-serving French player rose to No. 31 from outside the top 200 this year.
Mpetshi Perricard served 36 aces to Kyrgios’s 15, regularly topping 220 kph (135 mph) with ease and backing himself with huge second serves. There were no service breaks in the match.
“Surely you understand my frustration,” Kyrgios told the chair umpire Christian Rask, who had quietly warned him to watch his language after missing a rare chance to break in the second set.
Later, Novak Djokovic, who beat Kyrgios in the 2022 Wimbledon final, defeated Australian wild-card entry Rinky Hijikata 6-3, 6-3.
Victory in Brisbane in the final on Sunday would be Djokovic’s 100th ATP tournament win before the 10-time Australian Open champion seeks a record 25th Grand Slam title in Melbourne.
“I always expect myself to do well on the court. A win is a win and to start the new season with one is very important,” Djokovic said. “Hijikata deserves a round of applause. He was really, really good and made me work for the win.”
On Monday, Djokovic and Kyrgios, who are good friends, won their first-round doubles match.
Kyrgios said his wrist was extremely sore after the doubles win and he didn’t sound optimistic of getting far at the Australian Open beginning Jan. 12.
“I almost need a miracle and the stars to align for my wrist to hold up in a Grand Slam for sure,” he said. “But I’m so happy to be part of the Australian summer again.”
Earlier, world No. 1-ranked and two-time Australian Open defending champion Aryna Sabalenka started her Brisbane singles campaign with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Renata Zarazua of Mexico.
After a first-round bye, Sabalenka took just 63 minutes to reach the third round with form that shows a three-peat in Melbourne Park.
“First match always a tricky one to see where your tennis is at,” Sabalenka said. “I’m glad I closed that first set and in the second it felt like whatever I would do would work.”
She’ll play 15th-seeded Yulia Putintseva in the third round, the Kazakhstan player beating American Kessler McCartney 6-2, 7-5.
In another men’s singles match Tuesday, Frances Tiafoe beat Australian wild-card entry Adam Walton 7-5 (5), 6-3. Also, tournament No. 5 seed and world No. 22 Sebastian Korda withdrew with a lower back injury.
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