Say what you want about Nick Kyrgios, but this is a real nice thing.
The oft-maligned tennis prodigy was facing Czech Tomas Berdych in the Quarter Finals of the Dubai Duty Free Championships, and with the score teetering on the brink of Kyrgios breaking the game wide open, he instead chose to show some remarkable sportsmanship.
Up a break at the very beginning of the first set, and with world number 7 Berdych battling gamely against him, Kyrgios – in the middle of the hot streak of his career – took a serve from Berdych that was called out by the line judge and umpire.
But rather than accept the serve fault and attack the second serve, Kyrgios instead indicated to Berdych that he believed the serve was in, and encouraged him to challenge the call – much to the surprise of the crowd and the broadcasting commentary.
Lo and behold, the serve was in – by the barest of margins. Point Berdych.
‘Course the extra point didn’t do much to help out Tomas, as Kyrgios steamrolled past him straight sets, 6-4 6-4.
Kyrgios now has a semi-final berth in the tournament.
His opponent? His ollllllllllllllllllld mate Stan Wawrinka.
That should be a pleasant affair.
Source: Herald Sun.
Photo: Jean Catuffe/Getty.
