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Tuesday 6 augusT 2019

Nick Kyrgios chalks up Washington title to his ‘new path’

By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nick
Kyrgios dealt with back,
knee and forearm issues
during the Citi Open. Be-
tween doubles and singles,
he played every day, all
week. He saved a match
point. He beat a pair of
top-10 opponents, the men
seeded No. 1 and No. 3 at
the hard-court tournament.
In the end, he won the title,
the sixth of his enigmatic
career, one filled with big
victories against the Big
Three, yes, but also fines
and controversy and a pro-
bationary period and so
many ups and downs for a
guy who is still just 24.
And then, after beating
Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (6),
7-6 (4) in Sunday’s final of
a hard-court tournament
that serves as a tuneup
for the U.S. Open, Kyrgios
talked about how he’s a
changed man.
“I just wanted to clean my- Nick Kyrgios, of Australia, reacts after defeating Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, in a final match at the Citi Open tennis tournament,
self up and have healthier Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019, in Washington.
habits,” Kyrgios said, using Associated Press
his fingers to signal quota- become a regular occur- healthy. So I just needed to a tennis player.” He came get a first-week matchup
tion marks around “clean.” rence for the Australian re- change a lot of things.” into the Citi Open ranked at the U.S. Open against a
“It’s only the beginning,” mains to be seen, of course. Asked at his news confer- 52nd — and left with his Nadal or a Roger Federer
he added, “and it showed He said so himself. ence before 9 p.m. on Sun- ranking back inside the top or a Novak Djokovic.
this week by winning this “I feel like I’ve made major day night how he would 30 for the first time in nearly Not that Kyrgios is intimidat-
tournament.” strides,” Kyrgios said. “I’m celebrate his champion- a year. For someone who ed by that sort of matchup.
He spoke over and over just going to take it one ship, Kyrgios shrugged, said has been as high as No. He’s beaten all of them,
about how proud he was day at a time and hope- he probably wouldn’t be- 13, and someone who in- and says frequently he
— not so much about the fully I can continue on cause it was “really late” sists he doesn’t care about knows he can beat anyone
way he played tennis to this new path.” This was a and so he would head to rankings, that might not out there on a good day.
earn a trophy, but the way guy, though, who joked his hotel and get ready to sound like a big deal. The thing with Kyrgios is that
he lived his life when he about hanging out at a fly to Montreal on Monday But in this case, with the he does not always seem
wasn’t playing. local pub during Wimble- for his next tournament. year’s last Grand Slam to be at his best, for one
“I had the same routine don last month — including “Just looking back at some tournament beginning in reason or another.
every day. And I just felt the night before his much- of the places I’ve been in Flushing Meadows in three Even Medvedev refer-
— I felt actually like a tra- hyped match against Ra- the last six months, it’s cra- weeks, it means Kyrgios enced that reputation af-
ditional tennis player this fael Nadal, which turned zy to think how much I’ve would be one of the 32 ter seeing Kyrgios rebound
week,” said Kyrgios, who out to be a loss. turned it around,” Kyrgios seeded men, allowing him from back spasms that had
most certainly is not the sort “I just had a lot of unhealthy said. “I’ve just been work- to avoid meeting anoth- him laying on the court for
who generally would be habits,” Kyrgios said, “and ing really hard on and off er seeded player until no a massage during a medi-
described that way. it was starting to show on the court to try and be sooner than the third round. cal timeout after Sunday’s
Whether or not that will the tennis court. ... It wasn’t better as a person and as Also makes it less likely he’d opening set. q

Sun run winning streak to 7, beating Liberty 94-79

By The Associated Press Yvonne Turner, who hit 4 of 5 from behind the arc, added a career-high
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) — Courtney Williams scored a season-high 28 22 points for Phoenix (11-10).
points and the Connecticut Sun won their seventh consecutive game, Elena Delle Donne and Emma Meesseman scored 18 points apiece for
beating the New York Liberty 94-79 on Sunday. the Mystics (14-7). They had won five in a row.
Alyssa Thomas added 16 points, and Jonquel Jones had 14 points, 10 SPARKS 83, STORM 75
rebounds and five steals for the Sun (16-6). LOS ANGELES (AP) — Candace Parker scored a season-high 21 points,
Tina Charles led New York New York (8-13) with 20 points and 10 re- Nneka Ogwumike added 13 points, 10 rebounds and three steals and
bounds. The Liberty have lost five of their past six games. Los Angeles beat Seattle.
MERCURY 103, MYSTICS 82 Maria Vadeeva, a 20-year old who missed two-plus months because of
PHOENIX (AP) — Brittney Griner had 26 points, nine rebounds, a career- international duty for Russia and a knee injury, scored 14 points, for the
high eight assists and four blocks to help Phoenix beat Washington. Sparks (13-8). Sami Whitcomb and Alysha Clark each had 16 points for
Leilani Mitchell made five 3-pointers and finished with 23 points, and Seattle (12-11). The Storm have lost three straight.q