Nick Kyrgios was at his unpredictable best as he pushed through the pain from a nasty fall in his epic first round match at Wimbledon.
Nick Kyrgios survived a nasty fall on his way to wining his rollercoaster five-set first round Wimbledon clash against 21st seed Ugo Humbert 6-4 4-6 3-6 6-1 9-7.
Kyrgios and Humbert returned to Court No. 1 to complete their match that was suspended at 11pm local time on Monday night due to WimbledonтАЩs curfew.
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Just before the match resumed at 3-3 in the fifth set, the Australian admitted he felt sluggish as a result of the short turnaround.
тАЬIтАЩm so tired,тАЭ he said in the tunnel before heading out onto the court, adding: тАЬI just want to have a beer at the pub.тАЭ
Kyrgios was noticeably stiff and massaged his shoulder, but it quickly warmed up as he and Humbert held their service games relatively comfortably to take the score to 7-7.
The 26-year-old sent a scare through the crowd when he slipped over on the baseline during a rally and appeared to hurt his hip.
He immediately cried out in agony but thankfully was able to continue тАФ a day after Serena Williams and Adrian Mannarino were forced to quit their matches after slipping.
After the match Kyrgios said he would have played on one leg if he had to, and there was no way he considered retiring even after the frightening fall.
Shortly after the incident, Kyrgios hit some sublime backhands to break HumbertтАЩs serve in the fifteenth game of the set before closing out the match.
тАЬNot too bad for a part time player,тАЭ Kyrgios joked. тАЬI knew that I was a massive underdog.
тАЬIt didnтАЩt take much for me to get off the couch in Canberra. Wimbledon is one of my favourite events and I heard there was going to be some crowd. I love playing here so it was an easy decision for me.тАЭ
Kyrgios had to overcome WimbledonтАЩs curfew to progress to the second round at the All England Club. The AustralianтАЩs rollercoaster first round match against Humbert was suspended with the score level at 6-4 4-6 3-6 6-1 3-3.
тАЬIt was tough. It was a long day at the courts yesterday,тАЭ Kyrgios said of the quick turnaround. тАЬIt started raining and I thought it was going to get cancelled and I smashed so much food.
тАЬThatтАЩs why I had a slow start, I think.тАЭ
Kyrgios said he wasnтАЩt bothered by his fall but was feeling the effects of playing his first match in almost six months.
тАЬHonestly, I was in so much pain this morning physically. ItтАЩs been a while since IтАЩve played so I honestly just rolled into bed last night, fell asleep, then at it again.
тАЬItтАЩs very easy to get up for it, having a full crowd out here was so much fun.
тАЬIтАЩm just going to go to the hotel, play some Call of Duty with my girlfriend and try and chill out and come back out and play again.тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs simple, itтАЩs pretty easy.тАЭ
ItтАЩs the second time this year that Kyrgios has defeated Hubert in a five-setter at a grand slam, following the CanberranтАЩs epic win over the Frenchman in the second round of the Australian Open.
Kyrgios will next face ItalyтАЩs Gianluca Mager in the second round.
Kyrgios was his unpredictable self earlier during the match and expressed his frustration about the speed of the grass court at Wimbledon.
At a change of ends in the third set Kyrgios knew the camera was on him and took the chance to complain to TV viewers tuning in about the court speed.
тАЬFor those of you guys at home right now, this should be fast. ItтАЩs grass court tennis,тАЭ he said earlier in the match. тАЬThis is slow. ItтАЩs slow.
тАЬItтАЩs turf, it should be fast. They made it slow. ItтАЩs not turf anymore, itтАЩs a joke.
тАЬThis isnтАЩt grass anymore тАж start watering it тАж make it a grass court again please!тАЭ
