Nick Kyrgios returns to singles tennis at the Brisbane International, facing the up-and-coming French sensation Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, known for his powerful serve.
Nick Kyrgios ’ singles comeback in Brisbane will launch against a supersized young Frenchman who just won the ATP Tour’s most improved player. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard is 21 years old, 203 centimetres tall – or six-foot-eight – climbed more than 170 ranking spots to No.31 this year, and averaged almost six aces per match more than any of his peers.
Everyone from John Isner to Andy Roddick is having their say on the player becoming known as tennis’ answer to burgeoning NBA superstar and fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama. Kyrgios had already booked a hitting session before the draw was released with American giant Reilly Opelka, another of the tour’s top servers, to test his surgically repaired wrist, which has sidelined him for the past 18 months. And Australia’s 2022 Wimbledon runner-up, who turns 30 in April, was grateful for his choice once he knew he was locking horns with Mpetshi Perricard, who he believes boasts “arguably the biggest serve on tour”. “I would love to be able to go out there and play the way I played in 2022 and compete for grand slams,” Kyrgios said. “I still believe I can, whether or not that’s factual or not. There was another player who was like, ‘You have to be realistic’ that’s not how I am. I always back my ability and go out there believing I can win. I still feel I can produce a level that’s pretty high. “I think especially against Perricard; I could play like Roger and still lose. I could play the match of my life and still lose. That’s the type of player he is. He takes the racquet out of your hand.”He won his maiden ATP title in Basel in October, averaging almost 210km/h on his serve. Nick Kyrgios during a practice session ahead of this summer’s Brisbane International.Kyrgios animatedly burst in midway through Mpetshi Perricard’s interview with this masthead, and the players had a brief but warm exchange ahead of their on-court battle on Tuesday. “I said, ‘Yeah, good match against a good player’ ,” Mpetschi Perricard said
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