Agencies
Australian Nick Kyrgios has split with a second coach in a year after deciding to part ways with Todd Larkham just days before the start of Wimbledon.
One of the game’s brightest youngest prospects, the 20-year-old wrote on his website that the decision was mutual and the pair would remain friends.
Larkham worked with Kyrgios in his junior days and was in a second stint with the Australian after he parted ways with former coach Simon Rea after Wimbledon last year.
“It’s never an easy decision to end a coaching relationship and to do so prior to the start of a grand slam is even more difficult,” said Kyrgios, a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon last year and at his home grand slam in January.
“But I feel that this is the right decision for me at this time. I will work closely with my team and Tennis Australia through Wimbledon and we will regroup after the tournament in order to figure out the best plan for the future.”
The rangy world No 29 has had a mixed season since his run to the quarters at Melbourne Park, making his first ATP final at Estoril but also being troubled by an elbow problem.
Kyrgios withdrew from a tournament in Stuttgart earlier this month due to the elbow and pulled out of the Nottingham warmup for Wimbledon citing illness.
Wimbledon starts on Monday.
Meanwhile, in Wimbledon qualifying, Russia’s 17-year-old prodigy Andrey Rublev won his first qualifying match on Monday, defeating world No 187 Slovak Jozef Kovalik 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
Rublev, who reached the Wimbledon junior final last year, reached the ATP Tour this year and has registered five singles victories – including an eye-opening defeat of world No 46 Fernando Verdasco in straight sets in Barcelona in April. He will face Croatian veteran Ivan Dodig next.
Swedish 19-year-old Elias Ymer also took a step closer to the Wimbledon tournament proper, beating Italy’s Thomas Fabbiano 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Elsewhere in qualifying, Jurgen Melzer came out on top in the battle of the brothers on Monday, 34-year-old Jurgen beating 10-year younger Gerald in the opening round.
Former world No 8 Jurgen took 47 minutes to defeat his younger sibling 6-1, 6-4 to earn a second qualifying round date with Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands.
“It’s the worst feeling,” said Jurgen, who won the Wimbledon doubles title with Philipp Petzschner in 2010, after the family feud played out on grass at Roehampton.
“My coach was joking about it. I hope it never happens again.
“Some people like to compete against family, and we do when we play cards or video games, but it’s not the same thing when it’s a tournament match.”
“Neither of us were happy to see the draw,” added Gerald, 169 in the world and attempting to make the main Wimbledon draw for the first time.
“We had a good practice and were looking forward to playing at Wimbledon, but it’s not the kind of match you’d want to play twice.”
Three Japanese advanced in the fourth qualifying bracket, with Tatsuma Ito, Hiroki Moriya and Yoshihito Nishioka, 19, joined by 20-year-old Matteo Donati of Italy.
The top seed in the qualifying, Belgian world No 97 Kimmer Coppejans, was defeated by Vincent Millot 3-6, 6-2, 3-6. Spain’s Daniel Munoz de la Nava (7), Argentina’s Maximo Gonzalez (9) and Colombia’s Alejandro Gonzalez (10) have also been dumped out of qualifying.
Among Tuesday’s early notable results, American Bjorn Fratangelo Frenchman Mathias Bourgue, both 21, advanced to the second qualifying round while veterans Aleksandr Nedovyesov and Nikoloz Basilashvili breezed by challeners.
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