- Nick Kyrgios suffered a 2-1 defeat to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in Brisbane
- The Australian star shone on Monday together with doubles partner Novak Djokovic
- He is making his comeback to tennis after almost 18 months on the sidelines
After joining Novak Djokovic in his injury comeback on Monday afternoon, Nick Kyrgios returned to the court on Tuesday for his first singles start after his long injury layoff.
Unfortunately for the Australian tennis sensation, it wasn’t the return he might have wanted, with the 29-year-old knocked out in the first round of the Brisbane Invitational.
While Kyrgios once again showed his brilliance, he would ultimately suffer a 7-6 6-7 7-6 defeat to French player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in what was a thrilling match at the Pat Rafter Arena.
Perhaps telling something about the 29-year-old’s brilliance, he continued his impressive performance alongside Djokovic on Monday with another excellent performance against the world number 31, Perricard rounding the court with some masterful strokes and quelling any doubts about his match fitness , despite barely playing in the past 18 months.
But while many fans will be happy to see the former Australian Open doubles champion back on the court, concerns were raised at the end of the first set when Kyrgios appeared to show some discomfort in his right wrist.
The Australian tennis star underwent wrist reconstruction surgery earlier this year after a ligament injury to the same wrist kept him out of action for the past year.
Kyrgios, who had previously said it was a ‘miracle’ he could continue playing, was seen with a wrist band but appeared to leave the pitch during the break and called his physio.
The medics were seen administering treatment and tying more to his wrist.
Despite this, the Australian star continued to play and recovered to win a tiebreak in the second set, before the match was about to end.
Neither player was able to break his opponent in the final set, with Perricard beating Kyrgios twice on serve and winning the final three points of the tiebreak to claim victory.
There was a flashpoint during the match where Kyrgios expressed his frustrations while presiding over referee Christian Rask.
The referee had asked the Aussie star to politely refrain from using expletives after he painfully missed a break in the second set after leading 3-2.
Perricard showed his strength to fend off Kyrgios’ advance, saving two break points and the match.
Kyrgios was heard saying to the referee: “You certainly understand my frustrations.”
Perricard, 21, is coming off a breakout year on the ATP Tour, which saw him rise the rankings from 205 at the end of 2023 to 31 after triumphing at the ATP250 event in Lyon and more recently the ATP500 in Basel.
He sensationally served 36 aces during the match and could have denied Kyrgios the match in the final set, with the Australian star saving a break point in the second game before the pair went to a tiebreak.
Despite the defeat, Kyrgios received a standing ovation from fans at the Pat Rafter Arena, raising his hand to acknowledge the support from the home front as he left the pitch.
He returns to the court alongside Djokovic on Wednesday to face Nikola Mektic and Michael Venus in the second round of the men’s doubles.
More to follow…