Nick Kyrgios beats Novak Djokovic in Acapulco in dominant service showing with 25 aces
Updated
He usually captures the headlines for all the wrong reasons, but Australia's Nick Kyrgios has shown exactly why we pay so much attention with an incredible serving display against Novak Djokovic.
Kyrgios has beaten the world number two in a stunning straight-sets win at the Mexican Open in Acapulco, thanks to an unplayable service game including 25 aces.
Ace after ace after ace came in the first set as Kyrgios left Djokovic chasing shadows from behind the baseline, edging the Serb in a tie-break.
Kyrgios's stats v Djokovic:
- Aces: 25
- Double faults: 1
- First serve per cent: 73% (53/73)
- First serve points won: 81% (43/53)
- Second serve points won: 75% (15/20)
- Break points saved: 100% (1/1)
It was smart serving too. Seventy-four per cent of Kyrgios's first serves were successful, winning 78 per cent of his points on it, while he dished up just the solitary double-fault.
Only once did he find himself in trouble, but he saved the one break point he had to stay unblemished on serve.
The 7-6, 7-5 win sees Kyrgios reach the Mexico Open semi-finals where he will face Sam Querrey.
Victory over the mighty Djokovic again showcases to the world Kyrgios's undoubted, scorching talent on a tennis court.
And yet, no-one incites rage and frustration among the Australian tennis faithful quite like Kyrgios.
While part of it is embarrassment over his antics, a large portion of the furore comes over the prospect of wasted talent.
Earlier in this very tournament, Kyrgios swore at opponent Dudi Sela's supporters in the crowd, allegedly telling them to "shut the f**k up", while also gesturing to the group mockingly at the end of the match.
Sela then confronted Kyrgios while the two players were leaving the court, with the match official having to intervene as things got visibly heated between the pair.
That came just days after Kyrgios swore at the chair umpire during a semi-final loss to Jo Wilfried Tsonga in Marseille, after he was refused the chance to challenge a line call.
It incited Kyrgios to claim there was umpire bias against him, claiming he'd "seen referees wait five, six seconds after the ball's gone out.
"For them it's OK but when I do it once, it's not OK. You guys are biased as shit."
Incidents littered throughout 2016 saw current world number one Andy Murray call for someone to offer guidance to Kyrgios, while also adding there needs to be a greater conversation about players' mental wellbeing.
What cannot be disputed, however, is that when his mind is focussed solely on the job at hand on court, Kyrgios takes some beating.
Only time will tell if Kyrgios hones that potential into something tangible. A grand slam winner could still lurk within his undeniable talent.
If he can start producing results with a little less fuss, maybe a popular player could emerge as well.
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