On 12th February, Nick Kyrgios faced off against Dominic Thiem at the Australian Open. It was an entertaining match that saw Thiem come back from 2 sets to love to equal the match.
In the crucial final set, Nick lost a point due to hindrance as he spoke during the rally. The Australian was furious about it and had a conversation with the umpire where he took a dig at Belarusian star Victoria Azarenka. He said,
“Are you serious? You say that’s hindrance but some people’s grunts aren’t hindrance? Azarenka’s grunts are fine, but that’s not fine?”
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The crowd, who was visibly in favor of Kyrgios, booed the umpire and Thiem after this incident. Luckily, this controversial call from the umpire didn’t affect him as he won the game.
Nick Kyrgios vs Dominic Thiem
The battle between Kyrgios and Thiem was expected to be a great one. Both players were extremely talented and the match was destined to go the 5 sets.
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Kyrgios had the crowd’s support and with it, the Australian was able to go 2 sets to love. It was looking like it was all over for Thiem but the Austrian was a mental giant. He remained calm and came back to level the match at 2 sets all.
With a crucial break in the final set, Thiem gained the upper hand in the match. Despite some pressure in the final game, he held his serve to earn one of the greatest wins of his career. Now, he will face Grigor Dimitrov in the third round.
It was disappointing for fan-favorite Kyrgios who was hoping to reach the latter stage of a Grand Slam. However, he played an incredible match and could do very well at later events in 2021.
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