Kyrgios gifted ‘unheard of’ US Open role

Opening your tournament on the main court - in this case Arthur Ashe stadium - is an honour usually reserved for the defending champion, homegrown heroes and the world No 1, at least in the early rounds.But the duo better known as the Special K’s will face off on the main stage at 10:15am AEST on Tuesday (today).Kyrgios on Arthur Ashe is a testament to just how much of a draw card he is, not only in New York, but globally.“New York is a place that he loves - the atmosphere, the people. He’s such a big show that he’s opening the coverage on day one on Arthur Ashe Arena, with their main night match,” Todd Woodbridge said on Nine’s Today.“Two Aussies opening up the US Open, that is unheard of.“What is fascinating about this match is that it’s actually been Thanasi, I think, that has helped Nick get his form back going this season.“Nick’s form has been sensational this season, as we know. He’s had a good run in the US, having won in Washington.“You expect Nick to win between these two but it’s going to be a tough match with good mates, because Nick is going to have to control his emotions, and that’s always a challenge, as we know.”Kyrgios and Kokkinakis will face-off after Serena Williams plays the 1012th and possibly last match of her incredible career against Danka Kovinic.The 23-time grand slam champion announced earlier this month that she was “evolving away from tennis” with Flushing meadows her final tournament.While not underplaying just how big of a moment precedes his opening clash, Kyrgios said he would be unable to watch.“It’s obviously a very special moment for her. She’s probably the greatest of all-time,” he said.“Whether or not we see anyone deliver the career that she has, I don’t think that’s possible.“I’ll just kind of chill out, follow the score to see what my warm-up is and all that, but that’s for her. I don’t know the amount of emotion she’s dealing with. I couldn’t imagine it.“It would be so exhausting. Everyone’s talking about it, everybody wanting to know how she feels.“I just want her to enjoy the moment. I’m sure she’ll have a lot of nostalgic feelings out there. Hopefully, she wins. I wouldn’t want to see her lose.“It would be a pretty cool story if she went out with a great result.”Williams first won the US Open in 1999 and has claimed the title a further five times, most recently in 2014.FOLLOW SERENA’S OPENING MATCH AND THE SPECIAL KS FROM 9AM AEST

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August 29, 2022 at 11:30PM
Opening your tournament on the main court - in this case Arthur Ashe stadium - is an honour usually reserved for the defending champion, homegrown heroes and the world No 1, at least in the early rounds.But the duo better known as the Special K’s will face off on the main stage at 10:15am AEST on Tuesday (today).Kyrgios on Arthur Ashe is a testament to just how much of a draw card he is, not only in New York, but globally.“New York is a place that he loves - the atmosphere, the people. He’s such a big show that he’s opening the coverage on day one on Arthur Ashe Arena, with their main night match,” Todd Woodbridge said on Nine’s Today.“Two Aussies opening up the US Open, that is unheard of.“What is fascinating about this match is that it’s actually been Thanasi, I think, that has helped Nick get his form back going this season.“Nick’s form has been sensational this season, as we know. He’s had a good run in the US, having won in Washington.“You expect Nick to win between these two but it’s going to be a tough match with good mates, because Nick is going to have to control his emotions, and that’s always a challenge, as we know.”Kyrgios and Kokkinakis will face-off after Serena Williams plays the 1012th and possibly last match of her incredible career against Danka Kovinic.The 23-time grand slam champion announced earlier this month that she was “evolving away from tennis” with Flushing meadows her final tournament.While not underplaying just how big of a moment precedes his opening clash, Kyrgios said he would be unable to watch.“It’s obviously a very special moment for her. She’s probably the greatest of all-time,” he said.“Whether or not we see anyone deliver the career that she has, I don’t think that’s possible.“I’ll just kind of chill out, follow the score to see what my warm-up is and all that, but that’s for her. I don’t know the amount of emotion she’s dealing with. I couldn’t imagine it.“It would be so exhausting. Everyone’s talking about it, everybody wanting to know how she feels.“I just want her to enjoy the moment. I’m sure she’ll have a lot of nostalgic feelings out there. Hopefully, she wins. I wouldn’t want to see her lose.“It would be a pretty cool story if she went out with a great result.”Williams first won the US Open in 1999 and has claimed the title a further five times, most recently in 2014.FOLLOW SERENA’S OPENING MATCH AND THE SPECIAL KS FROM 9AM AEST