Nick Kyrgios lost a three-set epic on his men's singles return at the Brisbane International after 18 months out through injury. (More Tennis News)
The Australian🌊 was beaten 7-6 (7-2) 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-3) by Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard over two and a half hours on Tuesday.
Having made a triumphant return in the doubles alongside Novak Djokovicꦐ on Monday, Kyrgios struggled against the big-serving Frenchman in a tightly fought contest.
♌The only time Kyrgios dropped his serve was during all the first and last tiebreaks, having valiantly gone toe-to-toe throughout all three sets.
😼Mpetshi Perricard hit 36 aces throughout the match, including a whopping 15 in the final set, the same amount Kyrgios managed overall.
🅠"Not too bad," he laughed at his ace count. "I knew it was going to be a serve match, so Nick did a good job … I hope I will do a nice recovery and be back in two days.
💯"He [Kyrgios] did some good things during the match. He was very, very confident, a good serve. I tried my best; it worked, but I'm sure he's going to be back in the next few months.
🎶"I mean it was very exciting to play this one. I'm very happy to get the win."
𒅌Mpetschi Perricard will face fourth-seed Frances Tiafoe, who beat Australian wildcard Adam Walton in straight sets, in the second round. Kyrgios, meanwhile, will be back in action in the doubles on Wednesday.
