It is well known that Nick Kyrgios (26) has a spirited character. Again and again he loses his nerve on the tennis court. It happened again in Miami on Wednesday night. The Australian slams his racquet against his chair, scolds the referee and receives a point penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
But first things first. Kyrgios meets Italian Jannik Sinner (20) in the fourth round in Miami. As in the previous rounds, he starts the game well. It’s 4:4. But then the 26-year-old suddenly seethed with anger. The reason is apparently referee Carlos Bernardes’ radio, which keeps causing noise. He is also dissatisfied with the court. Bernardes issues a first warning.
Punishment follows punishment
It’s a tie break. Kyrgios continues to struggle and now even receives a point penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Then he makes a double fault. The first sentence is decided. During the break, the Australian continued to yell happily at the referee and smashed his racket against his bench. “It’s one of the biggest tournaments and you guys can’t do your job, it’s embarrassing,” rages Kyrgios. “I really want to know what’s going on with you. The crowd hates you.” The crowd is also upset about the referee’s walkie-talkie and repeatedly boos Bernardes.
The behavior incurs the next penalty: “Game Penalty” – which means that the first game of the second set is credited to Sinner. Kyrgios then fails to calm down and loses the second set 3-6. But that’s not the end of the matter for him. After the handshake on the net with Sinner, he yells at the referee again and calls Bernandes an “absolute clown”. The scandal is perfect.
In the meantime, Kyrgios has spoken on Instagram. But he doesn’t apologize, he sticks to his opinion. “Great performance by the referee and great court control at a Masters tournament,” he writes ironically. (cef)
