Daniil Medvedev says fans love to hate Nick Kyrgios as the pair get ready to play at the Australian Open.
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Published 18/01/2022 at 21:45 GMT
Nick Kyrgios drank beer from a fan's cup and posed with Cristiano Ronaldo's iconic goal celebration after winning in the first round of the Australian Open. The home favourite's on court behaviour is loved by some and infuriates others, and his next opponent says spectators love to watch him regardless.
Nick Kyrgios - Australian Open 2022
Image credit: Getty Images
Nick Kyrgios will always attract a bumper crowd. Tennis fans know every match involving the Australian will have drama, excitement and fireworks – but not necessarily just when the ball is in play.
Playing in front of a home crowd in Melbourne, the fiery 26-year-old is in his element at the Australian Open, with the tournament’s leading seed in his sights next.
A straight sets win over Britain’s Liam Broady in the first round means a clash with Daniil Medvedev is up next for Kyrgios, with the pair meeting on Thursday.
The Russian knows the personality of his opponent splits opinion, and he’s among those who struggle to understand Kyrgios at times.
“He’s definitely a character and you know, I think probably like almost everybody in the world, there are some things I adore in what he does and some things I don’t like”, Medvedev said when looking ahead to their match.
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Highlights: Nick Kyrgios showboats his way to win over Liam Broady
He wouldn’t go into too many details about what frustrates him about the Australian, not wanting to give Kyrgios any psychological advantage.
Medvedev went on to say, “he’s kind of going to extreme all the time when he’s on court, that’s why people love to watch him.”
Even if they hate him, they love to watch him and that’s his strengths.
“As I say, I’m not talking about my attitude to him. I think he’s a great guy out of the court. On court, some things I like, some things I don’t. I can say this about many players on tour”, he said.
Medvedev enjoyed a straight sets win over Switzerland’s Henri Laaksonen in the first round, and despite being number two seed going into the tournament, he’s now the top-ranked player following Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal.
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You can stream the 2022 Australian Open live and on demand on discovery+. A subscription for discovery+ is now £29.99 for the first year for UK users, down from £59.99.
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