A tearful Nick Kyrgios has retired from the US open, withdrawing from his third-round match against Illya Marchenko after the ongoing effects of his hip injury left him unable to compete.
Kyrgios started out strongly, winning the first set 4-6, but he dropped the next two, his pain becoming increasingly obvious. At one point, the 14th seed said that he felt like he’d been “hit by a bus.”
The young gun took a medical time-out at the end of the second set, telling his trainer “if it doesn’t get any better, I’m done.” Later in the third set, he said, as his condition deteriorated, he said: “I can’t move. I can’t turn, mate. What’s the fucking point?”
The sight of Kyrgios with his face buried in a towel, trying to fight back tears, was surprising given his typically confident and aggressive manner. Commentator Adam Peacock said he’d never seen the Australian in this state on the court before.
Kyrgios’ retirement after the third set allowed Marchenko to win the match 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. The outcome is a particularly disappointing one for him, as he had never before lost a match against an unseeded opponent at a Grand Slam event.
The Ukrainian will now face Stan Warwrinka on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals. After defeating Kyrgios, he told reporters:
“I feel sorry for Nick. But it’s a dream come true. A win is a win and a win here on Ashe is a very special feeling for me.“I cannot explain how happy I am.”
Source: News Corp / Wide World Of Sports.
Photo: Alex Goodlet / Getty.
