Wild thing Kyrgios escapes US Open banishment

26 August 2014 09:32

Australian teenager Nick Kyrgios came within a rant of US Open disqualification on Monday after a stormy first round win over Russia's Mikhail Youzhny.

Kyrgios, the man who famously sent Rafael Nadal careering out of Wimbledon this year, picked up three code violations in his gruelling 7-5, 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 7-6 (7/1) over the 21st seeded Youzhny, a semi-finalist in 2006 and 2010.

When he collected his third early in the fourth set after a series of rowdy outbursts, he was just another warning away from being kicked out.

"I guess it was just heat of the moment," said world number 60 Kyrgios, a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon.

"I was frustrated the way I was playing, and, yeah, it was just all that sort of stuff. It was just an outburst, and hopefully I will be able to control that the next time I play."

Kyrgios fired 26 aces and 68 winners against Youzhny and next meets experienced Italian Andreas Seppi.

He said his outbursts on court are all part of having high expectations.

"I have been an emotional player most of my career. Maybe I will be able to manage it in the future. It's a work in progress. It's something that's always been there."

Source: AFP