The China Mail - 'I gave a good show': Kyrgios defends antics in defeat

The Australian showman thrilled his noisy home crowd with his full repertoire of outlandish skills and madcap antics as he took it to the Russian title favourite.

But despite Medvedev winning 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in their second-round showdown, Kyrgios said that he won't conform to the tennis system and argued it's what the crowd wants from him.

"I don't plan things, I don't really care what's going on in a month's time. I'm going to look forward to going to have some dinner with my team, enjoy moments like that. Tomorrow I have some doubles," said the 26-year-old.

"People can doubt me as much as they want but they know I'm going to turn up and show up for matches like this.

"That's why the crowd is the way it is, that's why the tickets are the way they are, that's why the views are the way they are. It all speaks for itself.

"No matter how little I train or how much I play, I'll always lift for matches like this. I'm not going to shy away from it."

Kyrgios said he was not happy to be bouncing into the reigning US Open champion Medvedev in the second round at the Australian Open.

"If I play 95 percent of people tonight on that court I think I win, to be honest with you," said Kyrgios, who is now a lowly 115 in the world rankings despite having the talent of a player much higher.

"But that's just the way it is. I'm proud. I'm just proud of the way I carried myself. I fought. I gave a good show, and that's it.

"I'm not thinking about tournaments and my next tournaments or anything like that. I want to just go home now, have some good dinner, and just vibe basically."

E.Choi--ThChM