NEWS

Nick Kyrgios.... WINS IN D.C

Nick Kyrgios dropped his racket and fell to the court, arms spread wide, eyes staring toward the sky. Then, he leapt to his feet, fists clenched, and let out a roar. About one hour earlier, the 24-year-old Australian had lain on the court for a much different reason. Throughout the first set of Sunday’s Citi Open men’s singles final, Kyrgios battled through back spasms, and a trainer met with him between sets. In a match in which the first to break serve seemed destined to win, neither Kyrgios nor Daniil Medvedev managed to do so. But Kyrgios — and his 18 aces — forced two tiebreaks, coming out on top 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-4). For a player who so frequently battles two opponents — the one across the net and the one inside his head — Sunday showed Kyrgios’ growth. Faced with back spasms, he didn’t let another obstacle sidetrack his match. He worked with what he had and edged Medvedev, the 23-year-old Russian, for his second title of 2019.