Always entertaining Kyrgios’ comeback begins in Miami

Photo by Peter Staples/ATP Tour

By Harvey Fialkov

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., — Seconds after Mackenzie McDonald’s return of Nick Kyrgios’ second serve sailed over the baseline, the emotional Aussie breathed a deep sigh of relief before shaking his vanquished opponent’s hand.

Then Kyrgios leaned over with his hands on his knees to soak in his first match victory in 896 days or 29 months since Tokyo. It seemed appropriate that Kyrgios’ long road back to the winner’s circle took place on Stadium Court at Hard Rock Stadium in the Miami Open Masters 1000 presented by Itaú.

Kyrgios, winner of seven titles – all on hard courts – has reached at least the fourth round in five Miami Open appearances for his most consistent Masters 1000 event.

“Something about Miami brings out my best stuff,’’ Kyrgios joked. “I don’t know if it’s the night life.”

On a spectacular sunny day, Kyrgios, 29, shook off his nagging wrist pain that has basically kept him sidelined for the past two years and forced him to retire during a first-round match at Indian Wells a few weeks ago before downing McDonald 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

“I’m proud of the way I dug it out and competed. At this level you have to compete. I can’t believe I’m here with the surgery I went through and back in the winner’s corner,’’ said the 892^nd-ranked Kyrgios, who got into the tournament with a protective ranking.

“It was heavy for me personally. Just the day-by-day process to even be able to hit a tennis ball again was insane. … I want to be strong in those moments, but it was tough.”

When meeting the press, Kyrgios, wearing his favorite team colors, a Boston Celtics sweatshirt and cap, said he took five painkillers for his tightly wrapped wrist and that after the match it was numb.

It didn’t seem to hamper his booming 134-mph serves that helped him win 77 percent of his first serves (13 aces) or his whippet topspin forehands (32 winners overall to 29 unforced errors).

At 4-3 of the third set, the 101^st-ranked McDonald handed Kyrgios the critical break with a double fault. Kyrgios served out the match at love to set up a second-round meeting with Karen Khachanov.

The two have met three times, including a 2022 US Open quarterfinal that the Russian won in five sets; a five-set victory by Kyrgios in a round-of-32 match at the 2020 Australian Open and a win by Khachanov in the 2019 Cincinnati Masters in which Kyrgios had a running beef with chair umpire Fergus Murphy.

“I’ll see how this week goes, will I beat Khachanov? Probably not,’’ Kyrgios admitted. “I’ll give it a go and take it week by week. I plan on playing the whole year out and we’ll see where the ranking is there. I literally take it day by day.“

Kyrgios is arguably the most talented player in history never to win a Grand Slam singles tournament partially due to brutal injuries, but mostly because of the enigmatic Aussie’s unpredictable temperament as well as his desire to entertain the fans more than to lift trophies.

He came close three years ago when he got into the best shape of his career and made a sensational run to the Wimbledon final only to fall to the all-time Slam champ Novak Djokovic in four tight sets. Kyrgios and fellow Aussie, Thanasi Kokkinakis, won the Australian Open doubles title in 2022.

Other than barking at his players’ box – which has never contained a coach – and a few of his trademark drop shots, deft volleys and one-hand, backhand flicks, Kyrgios was all business. That said, this wealthy, loquacious young man who’s comparable to an accident on I-95 because one simply can’t take their eyes off him, hopes to play tennis instead of talking it on his podcasts and from the broadcast booth for many years to come.

“I guess [the fans] just love personalities and they look at someone like me who’s very relatable, who’s not perfect at all in any shape or form. When they realize that one day it could be them in that position,’’ he said of the fan adulation he receives wherever he plays.

“That’s a cool thing. I know I’ve got a crazy amount of people to embrace the whole thing but when I see the kids like that, it’s more petrol in the tank for me to keep playing because I want to play in a full stadium with all these kids screaming your name.”

In an early match on the intimate Grandstand court, flaky 27-year-old Kazakhstan Alexander Bublik, who as TennisChannel commentator Martina Navratilova said, “is the opposite of intense, nonchalant,” played with his customary smile while utilizing his trademark drop shots and cannon serve to dispatch 36^th-ranked Sebastian Baez 6-3, 6-4 to set up a date with 12^th-seeded Tommy Paul of nearby Boca Raton.

Like Kyrgios, Bublik loves to entertain the fans with circus shots and his surprising underarm serves as well as drop shots from the baseline.

“I want to entertain myself first,’’ said Bublik, who was just 1-13 against Top 50 players until Wednesday and has seen his rank drop from 17 last year to 80. “So, it’s me first and then of course people if they love it. I compare it to basketball for guys who dunk it instead of laying it in. That’s exactly the same thing I’m able to do.”

It was Bublik’s nine aces and 88 percent of points won on his first serve that thwarted the 24-year-old Argentine, a clay-court specialist who has lost his last 11 matches on hard courts.

Paul knows that antics from players like Kyrgios and Bublik can be distracting.

“Everything about [Bublik] is tricky,’’ Paul said. “You never really know what to expect. … When you get into reacting to him too much, that’s where he’s comfortable. And you don’t want him comfortable on the court because he can do everything.”

Yet another of the sport’s most entertaining players, 38-year-old Frenchman Gael Monfils blasted his way to 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan. He converted 38 winners with 18 unforced errors to become the second oldest man to record a match win in Miami. Jimmy Connors was 39 when he did it in 1992.

“It’s motivation and I’m very passionate about the game,’’ said the 46^th-ranked Monfils, who’s seeking his 14^th career title but first Masters 1000. “I love playing still. I love doing the sacrifices, to be healthy and also to have this will to compete.”

Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic must love South Florida as the Delray Beach Open ATP 250 singles and doubles champion advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Aleksander Kovacevic.

Novak Djokovic, 37, who will be seeking a record seventh Miami Open title, will get 86^th-ranked Australian Rinky Hijikata in his first match of the tournament on Friday.

An interesting match scheduled for the evening on Thursday is a rematch of Next Gen star teens Brazilian Joao Fonseca and Californian Learner Tien, followed by defending champion Danielle Collins against Sorana Cirstea.