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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Fraser Watson

Nick Kyrgios challenged to fight in players' gym by losing opponents at Australian Open

He's performed underarm serves, mimicked Cristiano Ronaldo's 'siuuuu' celebration, and swigged beer on court to celebrate a win - and now it seems Nick Kyrgios has prompted opponents at the Australian Open to challenge him to a fight.

Kyrgios has been his usual exuberant self in Melbourne, and enjoyed the support of a partisan home crowd when he and partner Thanasi Kokkinakis faced no 1 seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in the Kia Arena.

With the 26-year-old already out of the singles having lost to Daniil Medvedev, there was increased scrutiny on his second-round match with compatriot Kokkinakis - and sure enough, the pair delivered by beating the Wimbledon and Olympic champions 7-6 6-3.

Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis progressed against the odds (Getty Images)

The result didn't go down well with their opponents though, with the pair seemingly unhappy with the vociferous crowd being against them.

Indeed, television footage showed Kyrgios and Kokkinakis having a heated exchange with their Croatian rivals, and their entourage, in a players area at Melbourne Park - with Kokkinaksi later tweeting “That was crazy, mans thought it was UFC."

Kyrgios himself later tweeted to suggest the crowd antics didn't prompt the threat, but rather an incident during the contest when he struck one of the duo with a tennis ball.

“Just letting you know after yesterday’s chop fest in doubles my opponents coach and trainer proceeded to threaten to fight in the players gym. Tennis is a soft soft sport.

"All because I moved and hit them with a tennis ball.”

Former professional player, and now Channel Nine commentator Sam Groth, appeared to back up the Australian pairing's version of events.

"“Thanasi Kokkinakis messaged me as it was happening," he explained.

Kyrgios has entertained this week in Melbourne (Getty Images)

"He said: ‘I got accosted in the locker room by Pavic’s fitness trainer’. Obviously they weren’t very happy - they are the no 1 team in the world, the no 1 seeds.”

Regardless, it is Kyrgios and Kokkinakis who now find themselves in the third-round, where they'll face the no 15 seeds, the South American duo of Gonzalo Escobar [Ecuador] and Ariel Behar [Uruguay].

That clash is due to take place on Sunday at 5am UK time, and if Kyrgios and his partner can notch another surprise win, it will represent the Canberra man's best doubles performance at a Grand Slam event.

He's currently ranked outside the world's top 200 players in the two-man form of the game.

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