There is nothing in the world that even comes close to watching Nick Kyrgios play at the John Cain Arena.
In three and a half exciting, hectic and sometimes ridiculous hours Kyrgios saved two match points, went ballistic twice on the net cord and even called chair umpire Marijana Veljovic “bro”.
But in the end, he took arguably his most impressive win at the Australian Open, beating No. 29 seed Ugo Humbert in an incredible, shaky five-set thriller, 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 , 6-4.
The arena, which was no more than half full due to restrictions on attending the Open, has fluctuated at volume levels no different than in years past. For a short period of hours, the pandemic was almost forgotten when Kyrgios – in his castle – put on a show worthy of a king.
However, it didn’t all go the way he wanted. Early in the match, Kyrgios found himself frustrated and distracted by an apparently faulty automatic net cord, which apparently robbed him and Humbert of some aces, if we are to believe the Australian.
“Shut it down. [Umbert’s] Serving was so often missed, ” Kyrgios told Veljovic in the first set, gesturing a six-inch hole with his hands.
“It ruins the game. Do you understand? You don’t understand. It ruins the game. How do you understand?
‘Turn it off, bro. It’s that high off the net. I won’t play until you turn it off. Even with his service, the time has come. It’s not just my service. ‘
Although Kyrgios threatened to run out of the match, only one set in the match, he went on – but looked shaky and at times uninterested.
Humbert won the first set, but Kyrgios quickly hit back to take the second. The public wanted to include him in the game.
But the 22-year-old Frenchman was not to be outdone; he began to play out Kyrgios, whose attention was diminishing. Humbert won the third set and had a break in the fourth, and even the home favorite saw no way out.
“I’m ready, I’m f — ing ready,” Kyrgios muttered after a run in the set.
But as Kyrgios seems to be doing in his favorite stadium, he found another level. With his back to the wall at 4-5 and Humbert serving for the match, the Australian played an incredible return game, in which Humbert faced two match points. Ironically, Kyrgios secured the break back to 5-5 by brushing the net cord with a forehand that landed just next to Humbert’s outstretched arm.
Kyrgios gave himself a grin, and from then on the crowd’s noise barely disappeared under a dull roar. The broadcast cameras were shaking and could not get a workable recording from the ground.
The John Cain monster had awakened.
In scenes where tennis purists would reach for the mute button, the audience just wouldn’t settle. There was animated chatter between the first and second serve, Humbert’s mistakes cheered and the chair umpire forced to intervene constantly.
Kyrgios was licking it. It’s what makes the arena so difficult for its opponents to play. It’s an unmoderated experience to the point where even Kyrgios got away with a few expletives within earshot of chair umpire Veljovic.
Kyrgios kept his serve, as did Humbert, and then the Australian played one of the big tiebreaks of his career to tie the game to two sets each.
From then on, Kyrgios would not lose. Not with the wave of momentum the crowd offered. Since last year’s tournament in Melbourne, tennis had never seen – or heard a sound like this.
He broke Humbert early and held service throughout the set, falling to his knees after securing the remarkable win.
“When you were in my head, I was thinking about all the shit I was going to tackle if I lost that game,” Kyrgios said after the game. “I’m lost in words, it’s one of the craziest games I’ve ever played.”
Kyrgios will take on Australian Open finalist and reigning US Open champion Dominic Thiem on Friday in the third round.