Australians Nick Kyrgios and Jordan Thompson were bundled out of the Miami Open after losing to Borna Coric and Kevin Anderson respectively.
They were joined at the exit door by world no. 1 Novak Djokovic who went from winning the first set 6-1, to losing the next two sets 7-5, 6-3 to again lose earlier than expected at a Masters 1000 event.
Kyrgios was defeated by Croatia’s Borna Coric 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. It was again a match that had it all. Great shots, smashed racquets, an altercation with a spectator and an injured Kyrgios.
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Photo: Borna Coric of Croatia meets Nick Kyrgios of Australia after defeating him during day 9 of the Miami Open presented by Itau at Hard Rock Stadium on March 26, 2019 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
It was Coric that got off to the best start as he only lost one point on serve across his first two service games before breaking Kyrgios in the fourth game. Coric hit a great winner, then Kyrgios dumped a drop shot into the net before another Coric winner setup two break points.
At the change of ends after the first three games, the Australian was prodding at his right knee and looking in some discomfort.
Perhaps the shot of the tournament was hit by Kyrgios in the fifth game at 15-15. Kyrgios had played a drop shot that Coric reached and hit up towards Krygios as the Australian closed in on the net. Kyrgios played a look away volley that did not fool Coric, the Croatian snatched at a volley and it looped into the back corner.
Kyrgios chased hard to retrieve the ball, and in typical Kyrgios style, he hit a tweener, but on the full run moving away from the net. He passed Coric for a sensational winner. Check it out in the video below.
A Coric double fault in the same game presented Kyrgios with a break point. An enormous forehand winner saw the Australian convert the break point to get back on serve.
The trainer then made an appearance to strap the troublesome right knee of Kyrgios.
At 4-4 Coric hit long at 15-30 to present his opponent with tow break points, he then made an unforced backhand error to fall behind 5-4 with Kyrgios to serve for the first set. The Australian would win the game for a 6-4 set win.
The opening set saw Coric hit 11 winners to nine unforced errors, it was much the same for Kyrgios with 10 winners and 11 unforced errors.
A big moment in the second set came at 40-30 and deuce in the sixth game. First, a missed volley from Kyrgios took the score to deuce.
The point that followed Coric was on the run and Kyrgios had taken up a position at the net. He then made a complete mess of what should have been an easy smash putaway. Instead, it seemed to drop too low on him as perhaps he lost the ball in the sun, and the Australian sent the ball over the baseline to present a break point to the Croatian.
Coric was able to force an error from Kyrgios to convert the break. What followed was a smash of a different kind. Kyrgios hit his racquet into the court and cracked the frame. He then went on with the job and really smashed the racquet, it was partly anger and also partly playing up to the crowd.
Kyrgios retrieved his crumpled racquet and tossed it to a fan that was wearing a Boston Celtics singlet. The umpire issued a racquet abuse warning. Coric had earlier smashed his racquet.
Coric would serve out the set to level the match at a set apiece. The odds were now with Coric as he had won five from five matches in 2019 that had gone to three sets in a best of three sets match.
From 2-1 behind in the third set, Coric ran off five straight games to take the match and advance to the quarterfinals. This came despite Kyrgios holding three break points at 3-2.
Kyrgios was given a second warning from the umpire when about to serve at 30-40. That resulted in a point penalty to hand the break to Coric.
The Australian then shook hands with the umpire and said well done. Kyrgios then put forward a complaint about the umpire’s lack of control in relation to rowdy fans. The umpire said he had been trying, but Kyrgios was not convinced.
The key for Coric was that he cut down his unforced errors in the second and third sets.
Thompson is run down by Anderson
Jordan Thompson, playing in his first Masters 1000 round four match, started well against Kevin Anderson the world no. 7. He was up 4-1 and took Anderson to deuce, twice, in the sixth game before the South African held.
Anderson came back to break the Australian twice to take the first set 7-5. Anderson repeated the dose, breaking again to take the match 7-5, 7-5.
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