Nick Kyrgios’s twin US Open title assault has come to a shuddering halt, following a rollercoaster third-round doubles defeat alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Key points:
- The Australian Open champions had been on a nine-match grand slam winning streak
- They blew two match points in the second set and an 8-6 advantage in the deciding super tiebreak
- Fellow Australians Max Purcell and Matt Ebden also crashed out of the doubles
Less than 24 hours after removing world number one Daniil Medvedev from the singles draw, Kyrgios returned to team with Kokkinakis for a 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (10-8) loss to Britain’s Lloyd Glasspool and Finland’s Harri Heliövaara.
The Australian Open champions had been riding a nine-match grand slam winning streak but blew two match points in the second-set tiebreaker and then an 8-6 advantage in the deciding super tiebreak.
Kyrgios had been bidding to make the quarter-finals of both men’s events in New York.
The Special Ks warmed up for the US Open by claiming a second title of the year together in Atlanta.
Now Kyrgios will switch all his focus to the singles.
The Wimbledon finalist’s defeat of Medvedev, and Rafael Nadal’s subsequent exit on Monday following a four-set loss to Frances Tiafoe, has left Kyrgios as the title favourite at Flushing Meadows.
He plays Russian Karen Khachanov on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) for a semi-final berth.
Fellow Australians and reigning Wimbledon champions Max Purcell and Matt Ebden also crashed out of the doubles on Monday with a 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-3 loss to second seeds Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof.
In the women’s draw, Australia’s Storm Sanders went through to the doubles quarter-finals with American Caroline Dolehide after upsetting seventh seeds Zhaoxuan Yang and Yifan Xu 6-3, 6-2.
AAP
