The Kooyong Classic kicks off this week, and fans are set to witness a first. Australians Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic will go head-to-head on the court, in what is expected to be an epic showdown.
“For both guys it’s their last competitive match before next week’s Australian Open, so their focus will be on making sure their games are ready,” tournament director Peter Johnston said.
“At the same time it will be fun for the fans to watch it play out given they have never gone head-to-head before.”
Up until now, Kyrgios and Tomic have been used to playing on the same side, having been teammates at the Davis Cup and US Open doubles partners.
They were scheduled to come up against one another at the French Open in Paris last year, however it didn’t eventuate, with Kyrgios having to withdraw from the competition due to an elbow injury.
While there are no ranking points at stake, both players will be after a wine, especially Kyrgios after losing in the second round of the Brisbane International last week and now ranked 51 – a far cry from his ranking this time last year when he was 14th in the world.
Tomic finds himself in 85th place, but despite the need for court time in the lead up to the Australian Open, opted not to play in either the Brisbane or Sydney events.
The Kooyong Classic kicks off on Tuesday, with organisers yet to release the date of Kyrgios and Tomic’s clash.