NAN-S-17
Wimbledon
London, July 3, 2017 (Reuters/NAN) Australia’s Nick Kyrgios on Monday retired from Wimbledon following a hip injury.
The 20th seed said he knew that he was struggling with a hip injury even as he came out on court but wanted to give his favorite tournament a shot.
The talented 22-year-old called for the physio and packed up after losing the first two sets to doubles specialist Pierre-Hugues Herbert 3-6 4-6.
He had hardly made any run for any of the Frenchman’s peppering of drop shots, lobs and passing shots.
Kyrgios was also forced to retire during his first-round match at the Queen’s Club Championships in London last month after falling awkwardly.
He had come into Wimbledon saying he was only about 60 to 65 per cent fit.
“I kind of knew I was in trouble. I have been feeling my hip ever since I fell over at Queen’s. Never got it right.
“ I was doing everything I could to help it, but just not enough time,” a despondent Kyrgios told reporters.
“I spoke to the doctor before the tournament started. He was leaning towards me not even playing.
“It’s my favorite tournament. I do well here every year. So, it’s tough for me to go out there and get beaten and pull out,’’ he said.
After being broken in the second set to go down 4-3, Kyrgios sat at first shaking his head then with his head in his hands.
It reflected his despair and the disappointment of a packed Court 3 crowd who had rushed for the non-allocated seats to see a maverick player who is normally an acrobatic crowd-pleaser.
Indeed, such is his usual self-belief, Kyrgios said he could have had a chance of victory against a different player.
“I thought I could win. Obviously, probably not against him, but some opponents if I played them today, I probably still could have won,” he said.
Kyrgios, who had never lost in the first round at Wimbledon, reached the last 16 last year before being beaten by eventual champion Andy Murray.
He made it to the quarter-finals in 2014, losing to Canada’s Milos Raonic.
World number 70 Hubert, who took the doubles title last year with Nicolas Mahut, will play fellow Frenchman Benoit Paire in round two.(Reuters/NAN)
DE/OLAL
=========
(Edited by Olawale Alabi)