ATP Houston: Nick Kyrgios - "My game actually suits clay court tennis quite well"
Nick Kyrgios made a successful start in Houston's ATP 250 event, the Australian defeated Mackenzie McDonald in three sets. The 26-year-old then stated that he felt quite comfortable on sand.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit:
Apr 06, 2022, 06:36 pm
What you certainly don't immediately associate with Nick Kyrgios: really great clay court tennis. Powerful serve, good net play, hard forehand - the Australian's game is tailor-made for the hard and grass courts of this world. But - it seems - the 26-year-old can also cause a sensation on sand. In any case, the world number 94 started at the ATP 250 event in Houston. with a win in the tournament.
A win that Kyrgios had to work reasonably hard for, but the 26-year-old finally got the upper hand in three sets against the American Mackenzie McDonald. "Mackenzie is a great player," said Kyrgios after the match, also referring to the only meeting between the two so far. That went to the American in 2021. "He's difficult to play against because he doesn't make a lot of mistakes."
Kyrgios and Sand - but a match?
The balance after the opening victory was therefore quite positive for the Australian, who seemed to have prepared himself for a less than pleasant reunion with the clay court in advance: "Sand is of course not my preferred surface, but I just served very well and started playing more aggressively and eventually found another way," said the 26-year-old.
In general, the Australian sees himself in a position to achieve good results on sand: "I slipped a bit, but my game is actually quite good for sand," said the 26-year-old. "The atmosphere out here is great and the spectators are very involved. I'm looking forward to making further progress during the tournament."