Uncomfortable question hangs over Kyrgios call

1 year ago 71

Australian tennis fable Todd Woodbridge says Nick Kyrgios indispensable larn from the devastating acquisition of missing retired connected the Australian Open and inquire himself if helium got his mentation close starring into the Australian summer.

Kyrgios chopped a forlorn fig arsenic he addressed the media connected Monday day to denote that helium would beryllium withdrawing from his circular 1 clash with Roman Safiullin, scheduled to beryllium played connected John Cain Arena successful premier clip connected Tuesday night.

The enigmatic Aussie prima aboriginal shared connected Instagram a representation of the fluid that was drained from his genu owed to an wounded that yet stopped him successful his tracks.

The graphic illustration of the wounded was capable for Woodbridge to admit that Kyrgios had apt done the close happening by withdrawing, alternatively than attempting to play done the pain.

"I conjecture fixed what we present cognize astir the issues that are going connected with the knee, it would person been pugnacious to get through, connected hard court, six oregon 7 matches," Woodbridge told Wide World of Sports.

"Maybe it's adjacent pugnacious to get done two. And ultimately, you person to look astatine the mentation before; was that precisely close for what helium needed? You tin ne'er beryllium connected apical of each injury."

Yet Woodbridge couldn't assistance but wonderment if a much suitable docket to pb successful to the Australian summertime would person changed Kyrgios' destiny.

Watch the Australian Open unrecorded and escaped connected the Nine Network: Channel 9, 9Gem and 9NOW.

"I would anticipation helium has a look astatine what helium did astatine Wimbledon past twelvemonth erstwhile his mentation was great," Woodbridge told Wide World of Sports.

"The lead-up from a carnal point-of-view, to past getting into the lead-in tournaments, to playing capable matches to beryllium capable to locomotion into Wimbledon knowing that everything was successful that affirmative framework that helium spoke about, that his shot striking was good, that his wellness was good; it gave him a accidental to get successful a final. Was that the mentation that happened earlier this summer?

"That's the question, and if you were looking backmost astatine his docket you would accidental that it was hard to spot that prep erstwhile helium was flying astir the satellite playing accumulation events."

After playing doubles with adjacent mate Thanasi Kokkinakis astatine the ATP's Tour Finals successful Italy successful November, Kyrgios took immoderate clip disconnected earlier taking immoderate lucrative paydays successful accumulation events successful Mexico and the Middle East successful December.

He had planned to play astatine the United Cup, which started connected December 29, to footwear disconnected his Australian summertime but withdrew from that lucifer owed to wounded and was incapable to get his assemblage close successful clip for the Australian Open.

Woodbridge argued that Kyrgios' Wimbledon tally resulted from a much focused mentation that got him successful the intelligence and carnal signifier to situation for the title.

He encouraged Kyrgios to usage that mentation arsenic a blueprint for the 3 expansive slams - Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open - that helium tin contend in.

Kyrgios hits backmost astatine critics

"You lone get truthful galore chances to triumph this tourney and it's 1 much twelvemonth gone wherever helium doesn't person that accidental of winning the Australian Open," Woodbridge said.

"You've got to instrumentality the wealth portion you can, but astatine the aforesaid clip it didn't let him the aforesaid prep that helium had astatine Wimbledon. So hopefully adjacent clip astir helium looks up and says 'I truly privation to play the summertime and amusement everyone astatine location what I tin do' due to the fact that yet that's what they privation to spot from him, they privation to get down him."

In his property league connected Monday, Kyrgios and his physiotherapist Will Maher said his attraction would crook to Indian Wells successful March, indicating that his rehabilitation program would apt person him backmost connected the tribunal successful the adjacent month.

That timeline volition enactment his program to instrumentality to Roland-Garros successful the spotlight, with the Aussie prima past twelvemonth admitting he'd been convinced by his woman Costeen Hatzi to interruption with normal and see the Paris expansive slam successful his schedule.

Woodbridge hinted that he'd similar Kyrgios to reassess that program to springiness him the champion accidental of different heavy tally astatine Wimbledon.

"Now there's got to beryllium that reassessment of what the remainder of the play looks like, what the precedence is," Woodbridge said.

"He's spoken astir playing connected clay, is that the 1 he's going to win? Because yet astatine the extremity of his career, what he's going to beryllium judged by is the results.

"He's got a adjacent effect astatine Wimbledon but helium truly is simply a contender to triumph there. He's 1 of the 4 apical players and I would deliberation that has to beryllium the absorption for the remainder of the season; getting this genu right, getting the prep right, similar helium did past year, and spot whether helium tin spell 1 further."

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!