NEW DELHI: Nick Kyrgios, the Wimbledon finalist, suffered an early exit in the first round of the ATP Stuttgart grass tournament in Germany. In his first tour match since October, Kyrgios was defeated by China’s Wu Yibing with a score of 7-5, 6-3.
The match lasted 70 minutes and marked Kyrgios’ return to the tour after a seven-month absence and a knee procedure following his withdrawal from the Australian Open in January.
Yibing, ranked 64th in the world, expressed his delight at playing against Kyrgios in the first round, acknowledging Kyrgios’ reputation as one of the best players on grass.
Wu faced a significant number of aces from Kyrgios but managed to stay composed and patient, ultimately securing the victory.

For Wu, it was his first ATP match on grass since his Wimbledon juniors campaign six years ago.
Coached by former Australian Open runner-up Marcos Baghdatis, Wu made history in February by becoming the first Chinese player to win an ATP Tour title in Dallas.
“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 had reached the semifinals of the Stuttgart tournament last year, where he was defeated by Andy Murray. Despite displaying signs of discomfort with his knee during the match against Wu, Kyrgios delivered 15 aces in his loss.
Kyrgios, known for his unique playing style and occasional on-court antics, had reached the final of Wimbledon in the past, losing to Novak Djokovic.
(With AFP inputs)