MELBOURNE // Roger Federer may have his doubts about Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, but the firebrand talent believes he is ready to become his nation’s first home major winner in 40 years.
Kyrgios, 21, hammered 77th-ranked Portuguese Gastao Elias 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 to storm into the second round of the Australian Open on Monday, preserving his injured knee for a stiffer test against Italian Andreas Seppi in the next round.
A quarter-finalist on his Wimbledon debut in 2014 and again at Melbourne Park in 2015, Kyrgios has long been touted as a future grand slam champion.
But Federer has questioned his ability to become one at Melbourne Park this year.
"So I know [Kyrgios] has got a big game, but he has to beat four, five amazing players," Federer told the Sydney Morning Herald, before the tournament.
“Can he do that right now? I’m not sure. He can beat them, but not back to back to back to back to back, maybe. But I’m happy if he proves me wrong.”
Kyrgios has always spoken of 17-time grand slam champion Federer with reverence and was reluctant, at first, to address his comments.
But he did not fail to mention his 1-0 winning record over the Swiss great, having beaten him in three sets in Madrid last year.
“Yeah, I mean, I’m not going to say anything back to him about it,” Kyrgios said after thrashing Elias in 85 minutes.
“Obviously it’s his opinion. Everybody has it.
“Doesn’t bother me at all. I know he’s the greatest of all time. I know I just want to do my own thing. I played him once, I beat him once.
“[But] if I didn’t think I’d win it, why would I play?” he added. “I think I can win it. I’ve beaten pretty much everyone in the draw before. So I think so.”
Kyrgios upset 14-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal to reach the Wimbledon quarters but is yet to play defending champion Novak Djokovic on tour and holds a 5-0 losing record against top seed Andy Murray.
Still only 21, questions remain over his maturity in body and mind, and Federer is not the only one to ask if he has what it takes to win seven straight matches at a major.
Kyrgios has also been hampered by a knee injury, which caused him to hobble through the Hopman Cup in Perth.
But the lanky, mohawked tyro moved well against Elias, firing 21 crisp winners in his first tour match since his 2016 season ended with an ATP suspension.
Kyrgios was sanctioned after the Shanghai Masters in October, where he berated fans, the umpire and walked off the court during a point.
But his ban was limited to three weeks after he agreed to see a psychologist.
Kyrgios said, apart from the knee, he was “not in a bad space” and had fun at his favourite Hisense Arena, the most rowdy of Melbourne Park’s showcourts.
“It’s hard for me to stay happy on the road,” he said of his meltdown in Shanghai.
“I know it’s a great opportunity to go and see new places. But I get homesick quite easily.
“It’s not easy being away from your home, being away from your girlfriend. I just wanted to be with them.”
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MATCH INFO
Jersey 147 (20 overs)
UAE 112 (19.2 overs)
Jersey win by 35 runs
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
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- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Specs
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Fuel economy, combined 13.5L / 100km
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16 second leg
Paris Saint-Germain (1) v Borussia Dortmund (2)
Kick-off: Midnight, Thursday, March 12
Stadium: Parc des Princes
Live: On beIN Sports HD
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UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Film: In Syria
Dir: Philippe Van Leeuw
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Diamand Bo Abboud, Mohsen Abbas and Juliette Navis
Verdict: Four stars
