Kyrgios gives Australia Davis Cup lead

Rising teenage star Nick Kyrgios has given Australia a winning start to their Davis Cup World Group play-off against Uzbekistan with a straight-sets win over Denis Istomin at Cottesloe Tennis Club in Perth.

Australia needs to win the tie to return to the Davis Cup World Group in 2014 and 19-year-old Kyrgios proved too good for his more experienced opponent in the opening singles rubber, winning 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 in just over two hours.

Cottesloe provided the picturesque setting for the tie but the grass court did appear worn and didn’t leave either country totally happy, but Kyrgios handled it much better and gave Australia the one-nil lead.

Despite not being happy with the slow, low and uneven surface on the grass, and with a sore left arm, Kyrgios was satisfied to get the result on debut for Australia.

“I actually wasn’t serving great today at all but I slowed down the speed and was still able to dictate play off my first serve, and I thought I returned really well and neutralised his best serves,” Kyrgios said.

“Obviously he wasn’t feeling 100 per cent, but I’m far from that as well, and I stayed out there, competed and got the job done.”

Istomin was troubled by a hip complaint and that wasn’t helped with the low-bouncing court leaving him unsure if he can play doubles on Saturday or the reverse singles on Sunday.

“I felt a little bit of tightness before but I wasn’t thinking it was so bad,” Istomin said.

“I started and the ball was bouncing so low, and I had to go down further than normal and game by game it was getting worse and worse.

“I started to feel it in the middle of the first set and also I couldn’t serve faster so I was serving 150 or 160, so it’s not easy to play with this.”

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