Fearnley sweeps aside Kyrgios in Australian Open

In a long-awaited Australian Open match, home favorite Nick Kyrgios defeated the fast-rising British star Jacob Fearnley with a focus and composure.

Fearnley, 23, cruised to a 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 7-6 (7-2) victory in the first overseas Grand Slam match of his fledgling career.

After suffering a number of severe injuries, former Wimbledon champion Kyrgios made his first appearance at Melbourne Park since 2022.

But his return was ruined as the Scot, who only left university last April, took full advantage of his opponent’s physical issues in their highly-anticipated first-round match.

At a packed John Cain Arena, which has boisterously supported Kyrgios throughout his memorable Australian Open career, Fearnley’s dominance sullied the home fans.

However, the atmosphere quickly fell flat as it became apparent that Kyrgios was struggling.

Unranked and given a wildcard to play, the unranked former world number 13 Kyrgios injured his abdominal muscles when he returned from the Brisbane International.

That left him with a chance of not playing in Melbourne this week.

Kyrgios struggled to recover from Fearnley, frequently clutching his abdominals and needing medical attention twice.

Fearnley, who enjoyed a meteoric rise into the world’s top 100 last year, refused to be distracted by the issues faced by his opponent.