Nick Kyrgios falls to Karen Khachanov in straight-sets defeat at Miami Open

Nick Kyrgios suffered a defeat in the second round of the Miami Open, losing to Karen Khachanov with a score of 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, resulting in his elimination. Previously, Kyrgios defeated Mackenzie McDonald in the first round, marking his first tour-level victory since 2022 after missing significant time due to injuries over the past few years, making this match his second in three days.

Against Khachanov, Kyrgios struggled in the second set, only managing to win seven points. However, he demonstrated resilience in the first set against the Russian 22nd seed Khachanov, pushing the set to a tiebreaker, which is still commendable. This initial fight showed promise despite the eventual outcome.

After squandering a 3-1 lead in the tiebreaker, Kyrgios's game began to unravel. He became frustrated with himself and his team on the sidelines, making constant comments throughout the second set. He even hit a ball high out of the stadium, resulting in a warning from the chair umpire, and the second set concluded in just 21 minutes.

Nevertheless, this match also showed glimpses of the talent Kyrgios still possesses, especially when facing a high-caliber player like Khachanov. However, Kyrgios's physical condition after the injury was clearly not enough to challenge top players, and ultimately Khachanov advanced to the round of 32 to face Grigor Dimitrov.

Regarding other Australian players, Rinky Hijikata lost to 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic with a score of 6-0, 7-6 (7/1). Djokovic had not won a match since retiring injured in the Australian Open semi-final. Additionally, Australian player Tristan Schoolkate also lost in the second round, falling to Canadian player Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-4. In the women's competition, Australian player Kim Birrell lost a hard-fought three-set match to Ukrainian 23rd seed Marta Kostyuk, who won 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.