Australian Open 2024: Nick Kyrgios on Andrey Rublev title hopes, scary Melbourne scenes and Daniil Medvedev surprise

Nick Kyrgios returned to the Eurosport commentary booth for a five-set thriller between home favourite Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev.

Once again, the Australian gave more box-office views, opinions and insight such as Rublev’s title hopes, scary scenes on Rod Laver Arena and Danill Medvedev’s “worst technique” back in the day.

As De Minaur took a point from Rublev at 4-1 down in the opening set, Kyrgios gave the Australian credit for his defensive prowess.

He talked up his compatriot’s counter-punch, despite not having the biggest forehand in the field.

“He’s probably one of the best or the best counter-puncher on the tour,” Kyrgios said. “I feel he is definitely more comfortable using pace and redirecting and being put on defence.

“That’s his game style, that’s how he’s naturally been brought up. He’s getting better at being the aggressor; that’s why we are seeing these results and seeing him in the top 10.

“He does love getting run around the court, though.”

Adrian Mannarino narrowly avoided a triple bagel from Novak Djokovic on Sunday by claiming three games in the third set.

Kyrgios sympathetically gave the Frenchman the benefit of the doubt after going the distance in his previous three matches.

“Yeah, look, it’s happened to the best of them, that’s for sure,” Kyrgios told Eurosport viewers.

“Novak’s beaten every single person under the sun and Adrian’s had some pretty gruelling five-set matches so assuming he might have been a bit tired today.

“But hey, you have to laugh or you’d cry.”

Kyrgios was crediting De Minaur for his defensive abilities earlier in the match and pulled off an outrageous defensive shot from the baseline to keep the ball in play and eventually win a vital point.

Eurosport commentator Nick Lester described De Minaur’s effort in the second set tie-break as “one of the points of the tournament so far at the most significant of stages”, and his fellow commentator in the booth agreed.

“Scary, scary scenes out here in Melbourne,” Kyrgios said in amazement, his hands on his head.

De Minaur went on to win the tie-break to draw level.

While watching fellow countryman and home favourite De Minaur in the spotlight, Kyrgios reminisced about his junior days.

Out of all those he came up against, one name stood out for all the wrong reasons.

“It’s crazy to see all these guys I played juniors with doing so well now, it’s awesome,” the 2022 Wimbledon finalist said.

“One guy I thought was going to be horrific, actually, was Medvedev. I played him in juniors at Roehampton and I beat him like maybe 6-3 6-3.

“I was the dominant junior and I was like ‘this guy is terrible, the worst technique I’ve ever seen’. I honestly said this guy should just give it up, there’s no way he’s going to make it work with those hits.

“And now a No. 1 in the world and a Grand Slam champion, so funny though. And he was a nutter as well, I was like ‘this guy’s crazy’.”

The Russian has reached the quarter-final stage of a Grand Slam on nine separate occasions – with his win over De Minaur being the 10th- but he has never progressed beyond that stage.

Kyrgios believes Rublev has the talent to go all the way, but right now, just cannot look past Djokovic.

“Well, I just look at some of the other guys, [Carlos] Alcaraz, [Jannik] Sinner, Medvedev. He’s always going to be knocking on the door, he might do it, he’s capable of doing it,” he predicted.

“I think there are some other guys there that I would probably say, ‘Look he’s made the quarter-finals of every slam, always knocking on the door of titles’, you never know he might just line up the French one year.”

Kyrgios even gave away his own plans to achieve a maiden slam…

He said: “I think when Novak decides to pack it all up you’ll see a bunch of guys winning slams.

“Secretly that’s my tactic, I’m just waiting for Novak to go, then I’ll go into hibernation, get in the best shape of my life, protected ranking.

“It’s been my plan all along. Leave me alone Novak.”

It is fair to say Kyrgios enjoyed the blockbuster match between Rublev and De Minaur, despite his fellow countryman crashing out.

Despite that disappointment, he is looking forward to a top-five clash between Rublev and Sinner.

“Just a great contrast in styles, and personalities of players we’ve got on the tour,” he said. “Rublev, one of the best ball strikers and Demon (De Minaur), a great athlete.

“The score in the fifth set doesn’t reflect how well he played, Rublev just played a great fifth set.

“‘Mr Consistent’ back to the quarter-finals, the 10th quarter-final of a major. And that match-up with Sinner is going to be spicy.”