🎾 Curtains Close On Kyrgios' US Open

Good morning, it's Thursday, 8 September. All good things must come to an end. Just when you start dreaming of 2 Australians winning both the US Open singles titles in the same year, they get eliminated on the same day. That's the last time we're getting our hopes up. On 2nd thought, stuff that - the Wallabies are gonna win the Bledisloe! Lots happening today so set your expectations high and let's get into it.

⏱ 1,408 words = 7 minutes

👀 Probs not the best place for a trim

THE MAIN GAME

🎾 Kyrgios goes down swinging

The dream run of Australia's in-form, giant-killing, super-skilled and hot-headed Nick Kyrgios is over and it's left him heartbroken.

The score: Karen Khachanov beat Nick Kyrgios 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4 in the US Open men's singles quarter-finals

Golden points: Nick Kyrgios says he's devastated, that he feels like shit and that he's let so many people down after losing to Karen Khachanov in 5 sets yesterday.

• It wasn't the usual Kyrgios we've come to expect at the start of the match - he says he felt flat coming off a big win over world #1 Daniil Medvedev in the 4th round and a narrow loss in the doubles the day before.

• So it's no surprise he lost the 1st set in a serving shootout with Khachanov, but after a bit of treatment on a sore knee, that put a spring back in his step and he took the 2nd set.

• This match was as close as it gets and the players took it in turns to win the big moments - Khachanov did enough to win the 3rd set then Kyrgios played a brilliant tie-break in the 4th to take the match to a 5th and deciding set.

• Khachanov got the crucial break early on, and despite Kyrgios throwing everything at him, the Russian saved break points and served out the match to groans of the very pro-Kyrgios fans in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

• Once hands were shook, Kyrgios obliterated two racquets before he left centre court and was visibly dejected in his short press conference.

• He said his success at Wimbledon (where he finished runner-up to Novak Djokovic) and now at the US Open has made it clear to him that only the grand slams are worth playing. He says nobody remembers the other tournaments, just the majors. The rest are a "waste of time".

• He's now going to head home for a break after 4 months on the road and says he now has to start again to prepare for the next grand slam - the Australian Open next January.

What they said: "He just played the big points well. There really wasn't anything in it. I'm just devastated, obviously. I just feel like it was either winning it all or nothing at all, to be honest. I feel like I've just failed at this event right now. That's what it feels like," - Kyrgios opened up after the loss.

What's next: We've still got a few Aussies flying the flag in the doubles. In the women's doubles, Ellen Perez is through to the semis with partner Nicole Melichar-Martinez, while Storm Sanders and Caroline Dolehide won through to the semis this morning. Sanders is backing up with Aussie mate John Peers in the mixed doubles quarters as this newsletter goes out, so it's a big day for Sanders. Watch it all on 9Gem and Stan Sport.

QUICK SINGLES

⚽️ Football: Aussie football is no longer the main game. Channel 10 and the A-Leagues have re-worked their broadcast arrangement after last year's TV ratings weren't real flash. From now on, the A-League Mens match that was being shown on 10's main channel will be aired on 10 Bold with another match on Sunday arvo. As for the A-League Womens, it's being completely pulled from TV, with the whole comp now being streamed for free on 10 Play. It's the 1st time since 2008 the women's comp hasn't been shown on free-to-air TV.

🎾 Tennis: Frances Tiafoe is into the US Open semi-finals. Tiafoe beat Russia's Andre Rublev in straight sets this morning to be the first American in the US Open semis since Andy Roddick was runner-up in 2006. If you haven't heard about Tiafoe he's quite the story - son of immigrants from Sierra Leone, he slept in the office of a tennis centre with his dad and twin brother for 11 years. He's now beat Rafael Nadal and Rublev and is just one win away from a grand slam final.

⚽️ Football: Chelsea has sacked manager Thomas Tuchel. A slow start to the EPL season, a 1-0 loss to Zagreb in the Champions League and a clash with the club's new American owners are reportedly the reasons why Chelsea has parted ways with Tuchel after 100 matches in charge. He'd been in the gig since January 2021 and won the Champions League less than 6 months in the job. Brighton manager Graham Potter is reportedly the frontrunner to succeed Tuchel.

🏉 Rugby: Kurtley Beale is set to be named in the Wallabies squad today. Beale has 95 Wallabies caps but hasn't played since he hurt his hamstring while playing in France back in May. He's set to be added as cover for the backs as Noah Lolesio and Hunter Paisami both recover from concussions. Forward Rory Arnold won't be named - his wife is heavily pregnant and they're moving to Japan where he'll play next season.

🏉 AFL: Ross Lyon isn't feeling the vibe at Essendon. Lyon was considered a serious contender for the vacant men's senior coach job at the Bombers, but he's told Essendon he's out of the running. Lyon, former coach at St Kilda and Fremantle, said he couldn't fully articulate why the Bombers' job didn't appeal to him. He just said it had no vibe. The vibe is important. 

LEFT OF FIELD

🎾 Tennis: Of all the ways to get kicked out of the tennis, getting booted for getting your hair cut has got to be one of the weirdest. YouTuber JiDion has pulled this prank before at an NBA game, but he gave it a crack yesterday at the tennis during the Kyrgios-Kharchanov match. Not long after the clippers came out, JiDion and his court-side barber were ejected. He also got booted from Wimbledon's centre court this year for using an air horn. Ya gotta get that content any way you can.

📽 Highlight reel: 11 runs to win. 6 balls left. One wicket remaining. Sound daunting? Not for Pakistan tailender Naseem Shah. He hit back-to-back sixes to beat Afghanistan and send Pakistan into the Asia Cup final.

THE POLLING BOOTH

Wednesday's result: 40.98% say your calf is the worst place to get a cramp.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

• ⚾️ 9:00am - MLB - Yankees v Twins - Yankee Stadium, New York City - Foxtel, Kayo

• 🎾 9:00am - US Open - Day 10 - Flushing Meadows, New York - 9Gem, 9Now, Stan Sport

• 🏏 2:20pm - Cricket - Australia v New Zealand, 2nd ODI - Cazalys Stadium, Cairns - Foxtel, Kayo

All times AEST

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