MASON, Ohio — Days after making a remark to an opponent in Montreal that was picked up by on-court microphones and resulted in a $10,000 fine, Nick Kyrgios received a mixed reaction upon his arrival at his opening-round match at the Western & Southern Open.
The response of the large crowd grew warmer during the match, but that was short-lived — not because Kyrgios again set off controversy but because his opponent Tuesday, 12th-seeded Richard Gasquet, completed a 6-2, 6-1 victory in just 56 minutes.
Kyrgios and Gasquet had split competitive matches at Wimbledon over the past two years, but at this tournament near Cincinnati, the matchup resulted in a rout.