Kyrgios is back, beaten but finishes the match

4 days ago

Nick Kyrgios has come through his first match since March, and just his sixth this year, completing around an hour on court in a men's doubles defeat at the ATP Tour's DC Open.
Partnering French veteran Gael Monfils, and playing in front of NBA star Kevin Durant, Kyrgios had a tough opening draw against third seeds Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Hugo Nys.
Monfils was broken in the opening game and while Kyrgios held his first service match both players were then broken to lose the first set 6-2.
The second was much the same. Monfils being broken early and Kyrgios late as they dropped it 6-2 again.
Nonetheless, just being on court was something of an achievement for the 30-year-old Australian who has been dogged by injury since reaching the Wimbledon final in 2022.
Kyrgios last played doubles at the Australian Open in January, retiring in the second set of his opening match with himself and Thanasi Kokkinakis 7-5 3-2 down to fellow Aussies James Duckworth and Aleksandar Vukic.
He subsequently played three singles matches, retiring when 7-6 (8-6) 3-0 down in the first round at Indian Wells in March. The wrist he had an operation on in September 2023 was still an issue.
However, he reached the second round at the Miami Open later in the month, beating McKenzie McDonald for his first singles win since 2022. In the second round he lost to Karen Khachanov and this outing in the US capital was his first match since, as injuries continued to be an an issue.
Kyrgio has a current ATP ranking of 640, but has activated his protected ranking of 21 to be included on the official entry list for the final grand slam tournament of the year in New York.
Earlier on Monday in a sweltering Washington, Chris O'Connell went down 6-3 6-2 to American Ethan Quinn, ranked five places lower at world No.82, while later, Vukic takes on big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin are also in the ATP 500 event but have received first-round byes.
De Minaur told ATPTour.com he was hoping to use the tournament as a springboard to climb the rankings ahead of the US Open.
The hip injury suffered at Wimbledon 2024 meant the Australian No.1 did not play any of the hardcourt warm-ups before Flushing Meadows, so he has plenty of ranking points to gain.
"It was somewhat difficult at the start of the year and mentally taxing knowing that I had zeros on my ranking because I missed Masters events," the current world No.13 said.
"I knew it would be important to put myself in a good position for the back end of the year when I have little to defend, giving hope that I could gain some serious points and momentum and build on the ranking.
"So going into the tail end of the year, I'm excited for the opportunity and hoping I can play good tennis and take care of my chances."
Looking further ahead the Sydneysider added: "I've got the experience now. I've got the knowledge, the physicality side of things. Everything is just there for me to go out and perform.
"I can really have a swing these next three or four years and really show that I'm at my peak and break through some barriers.
"I'm ready to go deep into tournaments. It's just up to myself to put those results right."

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Ryan Daniels: Inside Harley Reid's contract talks and the multi-million dollar offers on the table

West Australian

8 hours ago

West Australian

Ryan Daniels: Inside Harley Reid's contract talks and the multi-million dollar offers on the table

It wasn't quite high-powered Wall Street execs in Armani suits, marching in to close a billion-dollar deal — but the stakes, in a footy sense, were just as high. Harley's Melbourne-based manager Nick Geischen rolled into town, and while he didn't utter the words 'Show Me the Money', he didn't need to. The phrase was emanating from his $24 million smile. It's been a hectic week in Harley-world, with a somewhat surprising shift in the situation. Earlier this year, the Eagles put forward multiple contract options to Harley's team. Three, five, seven-year deals — a pick-your-own-adventure approach. Nothing came of it. which had people thinking — he's gone. Even before the Eagles drafted him, there was talk Harley would bail. That the Eagles would be better off trading the pick. Victorian journalist Sam McLure now famously declared 'they won't pick him, Mitch (Cleary)' — suggesting West Coast would be better off passing on one of the most prodigious talents the draft has seen in years — just to avoid the inevitable messy exit. It's always been perceived as a matter of when Harley will leave, not if . Then, the twist. Geischen had come bearing gifts — a proposal for West Coast. An 11-year deal. $2.2 million per year, on average. $24 million all up. The largest deal in AFL history. More money per year than Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins. Unprecedented numbers across the board. While it sounds like monopoly money, in 11 years, $2.2 million won't be as crazy as it sounds right now. By then, Harley will be 32 and potentially edging out of his prime — but with the growth of the AFL's salary cap, he might end up a bargain at some stage. Remember, back in 1994 Alastair Lynch signed a ten-year deal for $1 million — at $100,000 per season, people lost their minds at the money. By the time Lynch retired, he was woefully underpaid. As part of this proposed deal, Harley would have the option to leave after two years. If not, he'd be here until the end of 2037. Let that sink in. In 2037 we might actually have flying cars and robot slaves. Or we'll be slaves to the robots. I'll be 54 years old. Bring me a pair of warm slippers, a glass of prune juice, and cap it off with a few episodes of Murder She Wrote. Maybe my idea of what it's like to be 54 is a little dated — but you get the point — 2037 is an eternity away. Harley's people bringing this to the table signals his intention to stay — if terms can be agreed. So, what's changed? Nothing, really. All along we've heard Harley, the Eagles, even his management declare the young midfielder was taking his time, happy in Perth. In recent weeks Reid's form has elevated, he's exhibiting an edge, leadership around the club. He's forming strong bonds with teammates. My understanding is he's told Andrew McQualter he wants to stay. At 20, he's living on his own, cooking, cleaning, he's got a dog. He's handling the media/fan pressure superbly. Some 20-year-olds can barely remember to flush the toilet. This kid is settled. Credit to the Eagles for an environment where a country kid from the other side of Australia feels comfortable, happy. Saying that, nothing is guaranteed here. The new proposal isn't quite a gun to the head, an ultimatum — but it's not miles off it. This is how keeping Harley Reid looks. If that's too rich, there will be other suitors. It's a fairly simple situation — other than the overwhelming commitment. That's the holdup, if there is one. No one saw this coming. Not even the Eagles. The deal, or at least the sheer enormity of it, has blindsided West Coast. They've taken a pause. In the month following the contract proposal landing in their inbox, there's been no response. Some meals take a lot longer to digest, and this is like going to a steak joint and being served an entire cow. Don't panic Eagles fans, they know what they have in Harley. They love him. If they believe they've found the sun which all other planets can rotate around, that he could be their Dustin Martin, their Patrick Dangerfield, then they need to do it. Maybe it's a slight variation of this proposed deal, a happy compromise, but they can't get too cute here. Harley could be the AFL's best player within a few years. Yes, a deal that long, with that kind of financial commitment comes with risk. In my opinion, it's a risk worth taking. This kid is special. He wants to be here and he's box office. After a disastrous four years at the West Coast Eagles, the signature of Harley Reid would be a significant victory and a sign that things might finally be turning around. Years of endless chat about a move back to Victoria for Harley, now the Eagles have a chance to keep their man. They just need to sign on the dotted line.