Kyrgios crashes out in Stuttgart first round

The Australian, who lost last year’s Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic, seemed to be bothered by his knee, but fired 15 aces in defeat.

Australia’s Nick Kyrgios in action. | Photo Credit: AP

Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios crashed out in the first round of the ATP Stuttgart grass tournament on Tuesday, losing to China’s Wu Yibing 7-5, 6-3 in his first tour match since October.

The 70-minute loss to the world number 64 came after Kyrgios missed seven months of play and underwent a knee procedure after withdrawing before his first match at the Australian Open in January.

“This was my first time on the grass in an ATP match,” Wu said. “The last time was Wimbledon juniors six years ago.

“I’m very happy to have played Nick in the first round, he’s one of the best players on grass.

“He aced me so much. The key for me was to stay cool, stay patient and find a way.”

Kyrgios reached the semi-finals in Stuttgart a year ago, losing to Andy Murray.

The Australian, who lost last year’s Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic, seemed to be bothered by his knee, but fired 15 aces in defeat.

Wu, coached by former Australian Open runner-up Marcos Baghdatis, in February became the first Chinese player to win an ATP Tour title in Dallas.