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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 15, 2018

Nick Kyrgios

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

N. KYRGIOS/R. Dutra Silva

6-1, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What did you make of that? Your assessment, please.
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I mean, it was obviously tough. You know, I went out there pretty nervous. Obviously, you know, I know I'm hitting the ball well. But to go out there in front of the crowd again, just trying to play well, I was a bit nervous going out there.

Happy to get through. Loosened up a little bit in the third set. He kind of was redlining a little bit. Made it a little bit more difficult for me to get into his service games. Ultimately, I thought it was a pretty good performance.

Q. You said it wasn't quite as good as Brisbane so far. What were you less happy with?
NICK KYRGIOS: Brisbane I was serving really, really well. I thought I was hitting the ball a bit freer. Obviously it comes down to a bit of nerves. Just tightened up a little bit. Still managed to get it done.

Q. No knee tape. Has that settled down?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah. I had my physio here for the last four or five days. He's been helping me every day. I've been getting a lot of treatment. Yeah, it's feeling good.

Q. Next-round opponent, had a chance to look at that?
NICK KYRGIOS: I'm playing Viktor. I played him last year in Montreal. I won. I know what he's going to bring. He's a tough competitor. He plays well in Grand Slams. I'm not going to think about it too much.

Yeah, I'm just going to obviously come in tomorrow, do everything, just recover.

Q. Can you put in a request for the venue you play at? You seem to be at Hisense a lot.
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I think some of the bigger players can kind of request where they want to play. Obviously being my home slam, I kind of can request where I want to play.

Yeah, I mean, I don't really mind where I play.

Q. What do you like about it? Just a different energy there than elsewhere?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I guess I just feel comfortable. I've played a lot of matches on that court, won a lot of matches on that court. Just feel like it just feels normal. Feels like home, I guess.

Q. A lot of people at the start of the tournament said they like to come off with quick wins. An hour and a half today. Must be pleased with that.
NICK KYRGIOS: If I had a five-set battle as well, I'd also take it as a positive. I know a couple guys today got through a grueling five-set win. They can take that as confidence. I mean, they're having a tough test first to sort of make you lock into the rest of the tournament.

Obviously with me, I'd like to get on and off the court as quick as possible, save my body for the later rounds.

Q. With Viktor, what does he bring to the court?
NICK KYRGIOS: Tricky. He's got a good serve. He has a great backhand. He's a journeyman. He's been on the tour for a long time. Won a lot of matches. In the Grand Slams, he's made the fourth round a lot of times. He knows the ups and downs that come in a Grand Slam match. Saw today, he was two sets to love down, and obviously didn't faze him very much. He came back and won. That's not easy to do. There's not many people that come back from two sets to love down and win against an Aussie in Australia. He's a tough competitor.

Q. Do you feel added pressure playing in your home slam?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yes and no. Obviously people expect me to do very well here. But I guess you just put the added pressure on yourself. You want to do well in front of your home crowd. Just want to make them proud, I guess.

Q. Have you spoken to Bernie since he lost yesterday? If not, did you see the match? What do you think about where he's at?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, he sent me a message. Just said, Good luck. I'll see you soon.

I haven't been talking to Bernard much. Yeah, I don't even know what his plan is or what he's going to do. I just hope for the best for him, I guess.

Q. You said at the end, talking to Roger, having your girlfriend back is going to help make you more comfortable. A moment in the first set you got upset at hecklers. Does it help to look over to her? She has a calming influence on you?
NICK KYRGIOS: I don't think she was there tonight. But obviously it's been good to have her back just on tour. She was away from the game for a while, with injury. That's never easy. She's come back now. She's playing some pretty good tennis again.

But just to have her around at these events, feels normal again. Yeah, it's good to see her back.

Q. Back to that first set, the hecklers. You talked to the umpire about it. What was more upsetting: the fact that people were shouting out or you didn't think the umpire was doing his job properly?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I just was surprised that he didn't say anything to the crowd as soon as I'm serving. I don't know. Obviously didn't bother me too much.

Q. You're friends with the American football player Colin Kaepernick, have been supportive of him in the past. Where are your thoughts on him not being resigned by an American?
NICK KYRGIOS: I don't think I've ever spoken a word to him in my life.

Q. What are your thoughts about that?
NICK KYRGIOS: I mean, where is that question even coming from? We're at the Australian Open, man. Are we done?

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