Australian Open: Nick Kyrgios and Amanda Anisimova lose in the second round

Just a day after that heartbreaking loss to Rafael Nadal in three hours and 38 minutes, Nick Kyrgios was back in action at the Australian Open, sharing the court with the young American Amanda Anisimova in the second round of the mixed doubles event. Competing at Margaret Court Arena, Nick and Amanda suffered a tight 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 loss against the 5th seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Nikola Mektic in an hour and 19 minutes, finishing the first joined campaign with one victory on their tally. Serving at 73%, Amanda and Nick fired ten aces and fended off eight out of 11 break chances to stay in touch, securing three breaks from four opportunities to hang in there before losing in the deciding match tie break after three mini-breaks they suffered. Both teams produced comfortable holds in the opening two games before Anisimova netted a backhand to get broken in the third game, with Krejcikova confirming the break with a service winner against Kyrgios.

Nick and Amanda fired four winners in the fifth game to reduce the deficit, breaking back a few minutes later when Kyrgios landed a return winner to level the score at 3-3. The Aussie fended off a break chance in the ninth game with a booming serve, breaking the rivals at 15 in the tenth game thanks to another return winner from Nick to grab the opener 6-4. The Aussie and the American saved three break chances in the fifth game of the second set, finishing the game with a service winner from Kyrgios before Anisimova got broken on the fourth chance two games later after a volley winner from Mektic who sent his squad 4-3 up.

Nick and Amanda pulled the break back in the next game to level the score, losing the momentum soon after that as Kyrgios gave serve away to trail 5-4. Serving for the set, Krejcikova held at love to grab it 6-4, sending the action into a deciding match tie break where they moved 5-1 in front when Amanda netted a backhand. The Aussie and the American bounced back to reduce the deficit to 5-4 before the Czech and the Croat grabbed another lead to move 9-5 ahead. Fending off three match points, Nick and Amanda stayed in contention before Krejcikova fired a service winner to seal the deal and move into the quarter-final. 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2tVqITv