3 days Ago By Marc McGowan
It took one moment of Novak Djokovic brilliance in the 10th game of the night for the magic to finally be unleashed. Nick Kyrgios’ comeback match on the doubles court in Brisbane alongside the 24-time grand slam champion was arguably a little ho-hum until then – and nothing like the pub tennis that Kyrgios and his great mate Thanasi Kokkinakis produce when they join forces. They were all business and maybe a tad nervous in the early games, but Djokovic’s outrageous backhand angled winner after scampering outside the court to retrieve the ball – which Kyrgios described post-match as an “iconic Novak moment” – changed everything.
It was the gateway to the fun everyone was promised. Many in the Pat Rafter Arena stands jumped to their feet, and a disbelieving Djokovic’s face lit up as he animatedly pointed in a delighted Kyrgios’ direction. Djokovic even allowed himself to watch his work when the replay appeared on the big screen.
It also proved the pressure release the superstar pairing needed on their way to a popular 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 10-8 defeat of gallant German-Austrian duo Alexander Erler and Andreas Mies, who make their living exclusively on the doubles circuit. Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios celebrate winning their mens’s doubles match against Andreas Mies and Alexander Erler. Credit: Getty Images Kyrgios secured victory with an ace before leaping into the air to chest-bump Djokovic in his first singles or doubles match on the ATP Tour since June last year.
“That was awesome,” Djokovic said afterwards. “Australia has always had an amazing crowd and amazing culture for tennis ..
. and as far as the match, I want to thank Nick for playing. He said the other day that it should be a pleasure to play with him.
It is a pleasure, and I’m glad to share the court with him on his comeback. “I haven’t played that many doubles matches in my life, to be honest, particularly the last five years. So, whatever Nick was saying, I was following.
” Novak Djokovic plays a forehand in the men’s doubles match partnered with Nick Kyrgios against Andreas Mies and Alexander Erler. Credit: Getty Images Kyrgios, who missed the previous 18 months recovering from a serious wrist injury after a knee setback before that, refused to confirm he was the on-court leader, but admitted he was surprised that doubles novice Djokovic doubted himself occasionally. “I was like, ‘Brother, you’re the greatest of all-time’,” Kyrgios said.
“For me, I was just looking around at all the fans in this beautiful stadium. This injury has been brutal for me, so I wasn’t taking any of this for granted. I don’t know how many Aussie summers I’ve got left.
“I was just looking around and loving the energy, and I’m just so happy to be back out here. We promised we were going to do this one time before either he goes or I go [into retirement]. So, I’m glad we’re still alive.
” Kyrgios will return to Pat Rafter Arena on Tuesday afternoon to face French up-and-comer Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round of the singles, while he and Djokovic will return on Wednesday to take on the top doubles seeds Nikola Mektic and Michael Venus. Djokovic will also be in singles action on Tuesday against Australian Rinky Hijikata. Three points after Djokovic’s stunning shot on Monday night, he and Kyrgios broke Erler’s serve from 30-0 to snatch the opening set and send the fans into raptures.
A scorching Kyrgios forehand barely touched the sideline to seal the deal. In between, Djokovic caressed a forehand return at Erler’s feet to drag the score to 30-all, before delivering a perfectly struck lob winner to bring up set point. There is a reason he was No.
1 for a record-setting 428 weeks and has 10 Australian Open titles to his name. Kyrgios – wearing a white cap backwards, and a t-shirt under a basketball singlet – took it upon himself to be the conductor while the Djokovic show played out. The Australian ran towards the net at one stage to urge their adoring fans to scream louder, even after crowd members spent most of the first set interrupting play with desperate attempts to get a response from one, or both, of the pair.
Djokovic acknowledged one such fan – a Serbian at the back of the stadium – with an appreciative thumbs up. Erler and Mies could easily have wilted at that point, but instead dug in, even as Kyrgios and Djokovic giddily chased one another around the court during one second-set celebration. Kyrgios produced one of his trademark ’tweeners, too, but stopped short of sending down an under-arm serve, which he later explained, to Djokovic’s amusement, that he was “trying to be a professional”.
Djokovic quipped: “The highlight of this interview so far? His sentence, ‘I’m trying to be a professional’.” The underdogs hung around long enough to stall the momentum at the other end of the court, pinch the second-set tiebreak and force a deciding match tiebreak. They even threatened to cause an upset when they claimed the opening point.
However, Kyrgios and Djokovic immediately got back on level terms before the Australian crashed a forehand through his opponents’ defences to go 3-2 up and take the lead for good. Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter .
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