LONDON (Reuters) – Australian maverick Nick Kyrgios ranted about the state of Wimbledon’s famous green turf on Tuesday during a late-night roller-coaster first-round against France’s Ugo Humbert.
Kyrgios and Humbert were switched to Court One under the roof after rain delays but the match could not finish as Wimbledon’s 11pm curfew came into force.
It robbed the crowd of a conclusion to an absorbing contest in which Kyrgios began well, then went off the boil, before hitting back strongly. When play was suspended the score was 6-4 4-6 3-6 6-1 3-3.
Considering the lack of play Kyrgios has had in the last 18 months because of the pandemic, he produced some sizzling tennis, but could not hide his frustration at the grass he believed was playing too slowly.
“For those of you guys at home right now, this should be fast. It’s grass court tennis,” Kyrgios said, addressing the courtside camera at a changeover. “This is slow. It’s slow.”
“They made it slow. It’s not turf anymore, it’s a joke.”
It did not stop him thundering down four successive aces as he roared back in the fourth set.
Just as the match was bubbling to a climax, however, time was called to boos from the crowd.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
