Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios’ doubles journey ends at Brisbane International
Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic were eliminated from the Brisbane International after losing their match against top seeds Michael Venus and Nikola Mektic in the second round of the men’s doubles.
Following their thrilling triumph in Monday’s opening round, the pair lost a slim margin. Before Djokovic’s catastrophic double fault allowed Metkic and Venus to win the match tie-breaker, the team was within two points of victory. Mektic and Venus advanced to the quarterfinals when Djokovic and Kyrgios lost the match 6-2, 3-6, 10-8.
“Down three points in the match tie-break it wasn’t looking great, but somehow we got back in there and Mekta hit a great return on match point,” Venus said.
After losing to Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a battle of big servers in men’s singles on Tuesday, Kyrgios, who is participating in his first event after having wr surgery in September 2023, acknowledged he was still experiencing wr issues.
However, in the Brisbane International on Wednesday, local favourite Kimberly Birrell shocked women’s second seed Emma Navarro, while Grigor Dimitrov remained on track to defend his championship. The two-time men’s champion Dimitrov defeated the Australian wildcard in the closing moments to defeat Aleksandar Vukic 6-2 7-6(5) and move on to the quarterfinals.
“It’s such a home atmosphere, honestly. It doesn’t feel like a tournament to me,” the Bulgarian said.
“That’s why I think the excitement is different. My attitude I think also changes quite a bit. It’s a very special week.”
After defeating Navarro 7-5 7-5, Birrell achieved the greatest victory of her career, giving the local supporters cause for celebration. The 113th-ranked wildcard broke to serve for it at 5-4 in both sets, then closed it out on her second try, spurred on the boerous Pat Rafter Arena crowd.
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