Djokovic advances in Canada as Kyrgios exits to boos

Djokovic, Murray and Nadal are cheered into Rogers Cup quarterfinals, as controversial Kyrgios exits to jeers and fine.

Nick Kyrgios
The ATP has served Kyrgios with a "Notice of Investigation," which will determine if his actions also merit further punishment [Reuters]

World number one Novak Djokovic, second seed Andy Murray and three-time champion Rafa Nadal were all cheered into the quarter-finals of the Rogers Cup on Thursday while controversial Australian Nick Kyrgios exited to boos and a fine.

Djokovic, also a three time winner on the Canadian hardcourts, needed only 54 minutes to complete a 6-2 6-1 demolition of American Jack Sock while Murray was equally economic in disposing of Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller 6-3 6-2 in just over an hour.

Nadal, finding his hardcourt footing coming off a clay court win in Hamburg, produced a snappy 6-3 6-3 victory over Russian qualifier Mikhail Youzhny, as Japanese fourth seed Kei Nishikori rolled to a 6-4 6-4 win over 13th seed David Goffin.

The decline of Australian tennis

While there were plenty of cheers in be heard across the Montreal tennis complex on Thursday few were for Kyrgios who entered his match to boos and exited the same way after falling 7-5 6-3 to big-hitting American John Isner.

The Australian had insulted Swiss opponent Stan Wawrinka on Wednesday during their second round encounter.

Calls to drop Kyrgios

Prior to the match the ATP had fined Kyrgios $10,000, the maximum penalty available, for remarks directed at Wawrinka about his girlfriend that were picked up by a courtside microphone.

With Isner serving for the match there were more boos for Kyrgios who lost his cool again engaging in a heated exchange with a spectator, yelling: “You’re so tough man, so tough”.

Also, the ATP fined Kyrgios an additional $2,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct related to a comment made to a ball boy during the match. The tour said Kyrgios has been served with a “Notice of Investigation,” which begins a process to determine if his actions also merit further sanctions.

The notice came as Australian Davis Cup captain Wally Masur dismissed calls to drop Kyrgios from the country’s semifinal against Britain in September over his on-court behaviour.

At Wimbledon last month, Kyrgios was also booed by spectators in a fourth-round loss to Richard Gasquet of France. He appeared to make little attempt to return Gasquet’s serve during the third game of the second set after a dispute with the chair umpire.

Nick Kyrgios of Australia reacts during his match against Richard Gasquet of France at Wimbledon in London [Reuters]
Nick Kyrgios of Australia reacts during his match against Richard Gasquet of France at Wimbledon in London [Reuters]

Calm on court

Meanwhile, it was all calm on centre court where Djokovic got off to a sluggish start but after breaking to go up 3-2 the 28-year-old Serb was in complete control with the Sock managing just a single break chance, which he was unable to convert.

Djokovic continues to dominate at the ATP Tour’s biggest events, running his Masters 1000 winning streak to 28 matches.

Coming off an opening match loss in Washington last week, Murray has also found his footing on the Canadian hardcourts, advancing to the final eight in singles but crashed out later in the doubles losing to his brother, Jamie.

The doubles match won by Jamie Murray and Australian John Peers 6-4 7-6(9) marked the first time the two Murrays played against each other as professionals.

Williams advances

In the women’s tournament, top-ranked Serena Williams advanced to the quarterfinals, beating 16th-seeded Andrea Petkovic of Germany 6-3, 6-2.

The 21-time Grand Slam singles champion will face Italy’s Roberta Vinci, a 6-4, 6-3 winner over Russia’s Daria Gavrilova.

Second-seeded Simona Halep of Romania also advanced, outlasting 13th-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in hot afternoon conditions.

Halep will face sixth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 winner over Alize Cornet of France.

In the late match, fifth-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia played Slovenia’s Polona Hercog.

Unseeded Belinda Bencic topped Sabine Lisicki 6-1, 1-6, 7-6 (3) to keep her run going. The 20th-ranked player from Switzerland opened the tournament with a victory over slumping Canadian Eugenie Bouchard and followed it with an upset win over fifth-ranked Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.

Bencic will play the Ivanovic-Hercog winner.

Also, 15th-seeded Sara Errani of Italy beat Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-3, and Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko beat Germany’s Carina Witthoeft 6-3, 6-4.

 

Source: AP, Reuters