Opelka sends Kyrgios packing in feisty opening round encounter in Toronto

ATP
Tuesday, 10 August 2021 at 05:55
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The National Bank Open (Rogers Cup) kicked off on Monday with some enticing first round matches, with Nick Kyrgios scheduled to bring the fireworks in his first round match against the towering Reilly Opelka.

The encounter lived up to the hype, as Opelka prevailed 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 in the final match of the night session. With both men trading huge serves, it was Kyrgios who obtained the only break of the first set, capitalizing on his opponent's low first serve percentage.

The second set saw no breaks of serve, with a dramatic tiebreak ensuing soon after. It was at this point that Opelka raced to the net to put away an easy shot, but Kyrgios believed the American touched the net with his foot. This led to a brief argument with the umpire, after which the Australian lost his composure and missed two easy forehands that saw Opelka win the second set.

Still not over the controversy, Kyrgios resumed his argument with the umpire during the changeover after the second set. The World No.80 seemed adamant that Opelka's foot had touched the net, and made his opinion clear using some colorful language. However, the umpire remained undeterred as the match proceeded to a deciding set.

Perhaps due to a loss of focus, Kyrgios was unable to hold serve as Opelka raced to a 3-1 lead. Despite saving two match points when serving at 3-5, the sole break was enough for Opelka. The American served out the match in just under two hours, booking his spot in the second round.

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