Serena Williams has passed the Wimbledon "bizarre" behavior torch to Nick Kyrgios for 2015.
USA TODAY Sports' For the Win was one of several media outlets to report on the unique behavior the 20-year-old Aussie displayed earlier this week against Richard Gasquet in the fourth round at Wimbledon.
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During one of Gasquet's service games in the second set, Kyrgios appeared to quit on the last three points. At 15-love Gasquet, Kyrgios begins to walk across his side of the court as Gasquet's serve comes at him. Krygios hits a weak, one-handed forehand into the net.
Kyrgios' actions cause Gasquet to confirm with the umpire that his serve was in.
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At 30-love, Kyrgios doesn't even make an attempt at Gasquet's serve, which lands in. After the crowd begins to jeer Kyrgios, he at least makes a half-hearted backhand effort at Gasquet's serve at 40-love, but the ball hits the bottom portion of the net.
Unlike Williams - who was disoriented in last year's doubles match, couldn't bounce a ball or serve it over the net, resulting in her forfeiting the match - Kyrgios kept playing. He lost the second set to fall behind two sets to none but roared back to win the third and had two set points in the fourth before ultimately losing the set and the match.
Williams would come to say later that she was suffering from a virus but wanted to play because she didn't want to disappoint partner and sister Venus as well as Wimbledon fans, Kyrgios became defensive and defiant during his post-game news conference about his actions.
From For the Win:
Q: So you're not denying that you stopped for that game?
Nick Kyrgios: Denying what?
Q: You're denying that you stopped playing for that game.
Nick Kyrgios: I kept playing.
Q: For that moment, you weren't returning.
Nick Kyrgios: And that's coming from you? That's your opinion.
And another exchange later in the news conference:
Q: Nick, can you give a proper explanation about why you didn't return those serves? Looked like you were tanking the set. A proper explanation please.
Nick Kyrgios: What's the question?
Q: Looked like you weren't returning those serves. Looked like you weren't trying, which is very unusual at Wimbledon.
Nick Kyrgios: Do you want to try and return Richard Gasquet's serve? I'll give you the racquet and we'll see how many times you can return his serve.
Q: But you're a professional tennis player, I'm not.
To be fair to Kyrgios, he only gave up on those serves, which is different than "tanking" - the adjective reporters and media outlets used to describe his actions - which is intentionally trying to lose. Kyrgios, after all, came back to win the third set and nearly force a fifth.
For the Win added that Kyrgios has added color to an otherwise "vanilla" field of men's players. But Serena has made everyone forget all about last year's Wimbledon by winning 26 consecutive Grand Slam matches since.
The 20-year-old Kyrgios would be wise to follow Williams' path to redemption, even if he's too young to realize it.
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