Kyrgios fined 11,200 euros for bad behaviour

Two fines from the sport's governing body, the threat of suspension, a grovelling apology and widespread condemnation from his peers and commentators, 20-year-old Nick Kyrgios finds himself at a crossroads of his burgeoning career. Does he want to be renowned as a great tennis player or a boor?  

Nick Kyrgios has been on the senior circuit for two years but already has a reputation for surliness. USA Today Sports/Eric Bolte

Tennis bosses hit the rising star with a double whammy of fines and the possibiity of suspension on Thursday night for poor behaviour during the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

He was intially punished with a 9,000-euro fine for obscene comments made to Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka about his girlfriend during their second round match on Wednesday night.

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which runs the men's game internationally, then announced that it would also fine Kyrgios 2,200 euros for another comment he made to a ball person during the same match.

"In addition, Kyrgios has been served with a 'notice of investigation' which begins a process to determine if his actions also constitute a violation of the player major offence provisions."

That inquiry opens up the possibility of further fines or even suspension from ATP events.

On-court microphones picked up the Australian's scurrilous remarks about Wawrinka's girlfriend during a changeover in their match won by Kyrgios when Wawrinka retired with back pain trailing 4-0 in the third set.

Kyrgios said that the woman had been sexually involved with his friend Thanasi Kokkinakis. "Sorry to tell you that mate," Kyrgios is heard to say.

Following a 7-5, 6-3 loss to John Isner on Thursday night, Kyrgios said that he had personally apologised to Wawrinka.

"Obviously he saw me in the corridor on Wednesday. He came up to me, as you know he would. I wasn't surprised.

"I told him I was sorry. Obviously he was angry, so I just had to deal with it. Hopefully we can just put it behind. It's all cleared now. I apologised in public and privately as well."

French Open champion Wawrinka had demanded action by tennis authorities over the comments that he described as beyond belief.

Wawrinka, who separated from his wife just before claiming the Roland Garros title, has been linked to the Croatian player Donna Vekic.

Kyrgios has cultivated a moody, meta-teen persona since breaking onto the main tour two years ago. Tennis observers say his talent can take him to the upper echelons of the game.

In 2014, he beat former champion Rafael Nadal on his way to reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and earlier this season he was in the last eight at the Australian Open. There was also a notable win over Roger Federer at the Madrid Masters just before the French Open. With Kokkinakis and Bernard Tomic, he is one of the big hopes of Australian tennis.

"I've been fined. So everything is sort of put to bed now. I thought we could move on from it," said the world number 41.

But his surliness towards a player considered as one of the most amiable operators on the tour has shattered the veneer of gentility and respect cultivated over the past decade by the former world number ones such as Federer and Nadal. The current head honcho Novak Djokovic is a particular stickler for complimenting his opponents.

The 28-year-old Serb advanced to the last eight on Thursday night with a straight sets win over the American Jack Sock.

"He was fined, he deserved it," said Djokovic. "I think he's going to learn a lesson in a hard way. I understand that every player goes through certain tantrums, emotional ups and downs during the match. In a big fight and at this level, I understand.

"But ... there's no excuse for directing your tantrums at your opponent."

Second seed Andy Murray, who also progressed to the quarter-finals on Thursday night, added: "The most important thing is that he learns from what happened. In other sports that sort of thing happens more often than we imagine, in a lot of team sports especially.

"But in tennis there are certain things you shouldn't do. That was probably one of them."

Nadal, the winner of 14 grand slam titles, added: "It's obvious that when you are in the tour, you are in the locker room every single week of the year, you are with colleagues around, and the life is much easier and happier if you have a good relationship with the rest of the players.

"What happened between Kyrgios and Wawrinka doesn't help to do that."

In other last 16 ties, there were wins for the Frenchman Jeremy Chardy and the Latvian Ernests Gulbis. Kei Nishikori of Japan, who is seeded fourth, served 10 aces on his way to seeing off the Belgian David Goffin 6-4, 6-4.

"I knew I'd have to play aggressive to beat him," said Nishikori, who was runner-up at the US Open in New York last year. "I played a very solid match and I'm feeling at almost 100 per cent going into New York."