Nick Kyrgios quits mid-match at Shanghai Masters
Australia’s top ranked tennis player Nick Kyrgios has sensationally quit his first-round match at the Shanghai Masters in apparent protest against the umpiring.
The controversial Australian stormed off the courts after losing the first set 7-6 (7-5) in a tiebreaker to American Steve Johnson.
The 22-year-old had received two code violations for unsportsmanlike conduct and copped a point penalty during the tiebreaker from the chair umpire. He also hit balls out of the stadium and screamed at hecklers.
A television camera picked up recording of Kyrgios saying to his courtside box that he would stop if he lost the set – which he did.
Kyrgios released a statement on social media insisting that he didn’t walk out of the game but that he “was just not strong enough to continue because I've not eaten much the past 24 hours”.
Kyrgios’s dramatic walk-off comes a year after he was suspended from the ATP Tour for tanking at this very tournament leaving his playing future in doubt once again.
Just last week, Kyrgios has made it to the finals of the China Open before losing to world No.1 Rafael Nadal.
He will now come under serious scrutiny from officials for quitting a match at the very same venue where he was accused of not giving his best efforts 12 months ago.