Nick Kyrgios savours raucous Australian Open atmosphere after tweeners and beer sipping in win over Liam Broady
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Updated 18/01/2022 at 13:53 GMT
Tweeners. Beer sipping. Cristiano Ronaldo celebrations. Nick Kyrgios brought the whole show as he beat Liam Broady in a hugely-entertaining first-round match at the Australian Open. 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
'What a point!' - Kyrgios sends crowd wild with tweener then winner
Nick Kyrgios declared himself “super happy” after a rip-roaring win over Liam Broady in the first round of the Australian Open.
Kyrgios, playing for the first time since Wimbledon, was at his entertaining and scintillating best as he beat British qualifier Broady 6-4 6-4 6-3 on a raucous John Cain Arena.
Having been a doubt for the tournament after testing positive for Covid-19 last week, Kyrgios served brilliantly throughout and pulled out a number of trick shots to send the crowd into raptures.
He will next face world No 2 Daniil Medvedev in a blockbuster second-round match.
“I am super happy to be here again,” said Kyrgios in his on-court interview.
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'Adds to the show!' - Kyrgios drinks fan's beer in celebrating victory
“I know we have all had a tough couple of years so to be back at the Australian Open again it’s so much fun.
“When I tested positive it obviously wasn’t great news, a week out from the Australian Open, I had some doubts, a lot of messages asking me if I was going to play, but I couldn’t ask for a better team.”
Kyrgios, whose best showing at his home Slam is making the quarter-finals in 2015, always looked on top against Broady.
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Kyrgios copies Ronaldo celebration after beating Britain's Broady
A break in the opening game of the match set the tone as Kyrgios’ power proved too much for the Brit to handle.
Kyrgios broke again to start the second set and then twice in the third to wrap up victory in just under two hours. Kyrgios finished with 41 winners, including 21 aces, and saved the one break point he faced.
“I don’t know what I have done to this crowd because you guys are a zoo, out of control,” said the Australian before taking selfies with fans and sipping from a beer that was offered to him.
Reflecting on his struggles with Covid over the last week, Kyrgios said: “The first couple of days I was bed ridden, I was sleeping 17 hours a day, I was concerned that physically I wasn’t going to be ready to play but I took it day by day and looked at the bright side, took a bit of pressure off.
“I am so excited to be here, this is my favourite court in the entire world.”
Kyrgios almost beat Dominic Thiem in an epic match on John Cain Arena last year but is likely to be switched to the main show court on Rod Laver Arena for his next match against Medvedev.
Kyrgios holds a 2-0 record against the Russian and is relishing the chance to face him again, after playing doubles with good friend Thanasi Kokkinakis.
“He is an amazing player,” Kyrgios said about Medvedev.
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'It's a circus!' - Kyrgios wins point with unbelievable underarm-tweener serve
“I knew he was going to do some special things in this sport and he’s won a Grand Slam. I am not even thinking about that, I’ve got some doubles tomorrow with Thanasi and it’s great to see him back with the success he has been having.
“I am not even looking ahead, I know I will have to play some great tennis, but I’m going to enjoy tonight, I’ve got a great day tomorrow and then we will see what happens.
“I’ve had some of my favourite moments out here. I don’t take anything for granted, every day I feel healthy, happy, getting out here is a bonus. You look at Thanasi and he has had so many injuries, you can see how much it means to him getting out here.
“Obviously he had a bittersweet end [losing in the first round of the Australian Open after winning in Adelaide last week] but the last couple of weeks have been amazing and that’s what he is capable of so I hope he gets healthy and able to play. I love him.”
Medvedev, who reached the final in Melbourne last year, eased past Henri Laaksonen in his first-round match.
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Highlights: Nick Kyrgios showboats his way to win over Liam Broady
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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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