The 2022 Wimbledon Championships has certainly left fans with some memorable images, none more so than the third-round match between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nick Kyrgios.
It was certainly an interesting match-up personality-wise, but no one would have expected such a fierce-looking rivalry to develop because of it.
The match had it all - long and impressive rallies, enthusiastic crowds, and, as is expected when the Australian player takes to the court, a couple of underarm serves for good measure.
Things all went south, however, when the Greek let the emotion of losing the second set get the better of him and hit a ball in anger into the stands. Kyrgios, convinced that Tsitsipas had committed an illegal act, soon demanded that the umpire disqualify him from the match.
The incidents did not stop there, with Tsitsipas sending another ball into the crowd and hitting shots directly at his Australian opponent. Following things arguably getting out of hand, both players commented on the events, with Kyrgios saying:
"As for me, I just competed. I didn't do anything. I literally did not do a thing. Maybe he should figure out how to beat me. The circus was all him. I'm one of the most liked players in the locker room. He's not liked.... He has some serious issues."
Interestingly, Kyrgios chose to go down the line of the off-court demeanors of both on tour to explain his point of view. However, this result and post-match reaction from both detract nothing from the talent that was on display.
Talent good enough to see the man from Down Under into the fourth-round at the All England Club, in which he will face USA's Brandon Nakashima.
Many have pipped the Aussie as a favorite for this year's tournament, with his stellar form and performances so far, but with sleeping giants such as Novak Djokovic still yet to face, only time will tell if Kyrgios is to lift the famous trophy and get his named printed on the wall for eternity.
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