	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 17, 2018

Nick Kyrgios

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

N. KYRGIOS/V. Troicki

7-5, 6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Toughest match you've had, to deal with with all the distractions?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah. There were a lot of distractions going out there today. More than just the microphone thing was tough to deal with. I felt like the atmosphere completely changed. Kind of when you got the microphones working, the music and stuff kind of puts you in a rhythm every game. 15-Love, you can kind of hear it.

With the microphone, the whole atmosphere changed. I kind of lost my rhythm a little bit. Yeah, I mean, I thought I dealt with everything pretty well. Obviously he's a tough competitor, a very good tennis player. He loves the five-set format as well, obviously coming back from two sets to love in the first round. I knew he wasn't really going to go away or anything like that.

Q. Do you think that's maturity you gained; 12 months ago you wouldn't have been able to do it?
NICK KYRGIOS: I think last year, the year before, I probably would have been probably still out on the court right now, could be losing that match. I feel like, yeah, obviously my game helped me in the tiebreaker. I played a pretty good level in the tiebreak.

Q. Do you feel like you might be outgrowing Hisense in terms of distractions and that tonight, just in general? Do you think you're ready for Rod Laver?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I think I'm ready for it. I played a lot of matches on Rod Laver. I've hit on it a lot of times. I'm ready for it.

I'm guessing I'll probably be playing on Rod Laver next round. Yeah, of course I'm ready for it.

Q. You don't need it to pump you up any more?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, of course. Rod Laver is one of the best stadiums in the world. I remember the first time I played a match there, it was my junior final. I played well. I think me and Thanasi both played well. I think I'll be fine on it.

Q. These kind of distractions seem to keep happening at your matches. Do you ever think, Why me?
NICK KYRGIOS: I think obviously it's pretty easy to think, Why me? The guy in the crowd was crazy. I didn't really know what was going on. The helicopter, that's when I was thinking like, Of course, it's at my match. It's just hovering there. Of course, it is.

But that actually made it tough. It was tough to return. Hearing the ball actually come off the racquets is a pretty big thing. I missed four returns. I'm just going to blame it on the helicopter.

But, yeah, there were a lot of things going on there today.

Q. The guy went on social media claiming it's the greatest thing he's ever done in his life. Any thoughts to that?
NICK KYRGIOS: Good on him. Little claim to fame. Let him have it.

Q. With the microphone stuff, what was more distracting, the fact that was happening or the fan responses, a lot of laughter and cheering?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, it was tough. I told the umpire to maybe just not use a microphone any more because the crowd just found it so amusing. I mean, I was just like, Dude, just stop doing it. It's going to create more of a circus. He stopped doing it.

Obviously it was tough. It felt like I was playing at another tournament. I didn't hear the microphone, no music at change of ends. It was a strange atmosphere.

Q. It was an emotionless performance almost, a lot of reasons to get upset, but you didn't give many c'mons on big points. Did you think no matter what happens, you're not going to show any emotion?
NICK KYRGIOS: When he broke back in the third set, I started freaking out a little bit. Obviously I knew he was confident he could come back from two sets to love. I played a pretty good tiebreak to get out of trouble.

I know I have to conserve my energy from the start in best-of-five matches. Just so many ups and downs, it's draining. You want to just conserve as much energy as you can.

Q. What did you like most about your game?
NICK KYRGIOS: Today I thought I played pretty solid. I served well. Thought I returned pretty good. Hit my forehand well, hit my backhand well. I'm still not playing as well as I would like to be at the moment. But I'm getting through, which is good.

Q. We've talked a lot about the negative distractions. One thing you always have behind you is the home crowd. How much was it a help when you had those negative distractions today?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, they found all the distractions pretty amusing. Yeah, I mean, it's good to have the crowd behind me. Obviously when the times get tough, you hit a good shot, the crowd gets behind you, it's a good feeling. Yeah, that played a massive part in it.

Q. Jo-Wilfried fried on Friday. Thoughts on it?
NICK KYRGIOS: It's going to be fun. We played last year in Marseille. He beat me in a three-set battle. It was a lot of fun. Obviously a guy I looked up to growing up.

I've seen him play a lot. I know what he's going to bring. He knows what I'm going to bring. It's going to be a lot of fun.

Q. You mentioned he was one of your idols. Was he a player above anyone else?
NICK KYRGIOS: It was just the way he played his game. I liked his aggressive style of tennis. He had a big serve, big forehand. He played an entertaining style tennis.

When I was 12, I went to all his practice sessions. He made the final in 2008. I think I was 12. I went to all his practice sessions with a new ball. He signed it every day. I don't know if he remembers. I didn't miss one of his practice sessions, so...

Q. What did you do with those balls?
NICK KYRGIOS: I don't know where they are now.

Q. His match went to five sets. Did you catch any of that?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I watched a little bit of it. He played a tough opponent. I think Denis is going to be one of the stars of the game. He had a lot of chances to put it away, 5-2 in the fifth set. It's a tough loss.

He's showing signs. Obviously it's not easy to be in that position in the first place. He'll learn from it. I'm sure he'll start closing out matches like that soon enough.

Q. In the interview that Serbian media had with Viktor, he praised you as a guy who is a good friend, very respectful, a great colleague. How do you find these comments?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I mean, I'm always nice to him. I feel like I'm nice to a lot of people in the locker room. I see them more than my family. There's no reason for me not to say hello and be friendly.

But Vik has always been a good friend of mine. He's always so friendly in the locker room. We played each other a couple times now. We respect each other. Yeah, he's a good guy.

Q. What do you think the speed of the courts here? Suits your game very well.
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, Hisense is playing very slow I think. It's tough to get a ball past someone that moves as well as Viktor. You have to be super aggressive.

Yeah, they're playing pretty slow, I think. I haven't played on the outside courts. People are saying they're playing quick. Hisense for me is playing very slow.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297