NEW YORK: Nick Kyrgios was told to try harder at the US Open on Thursday -- by a frustrated umpire who controversially climbed out of his chair to give the Australian a pep talk.
Kyrgios was a set and 0-3 down to Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert on Court 17 when umpire Mohamed Lahyani lost patience with the under-performing 30th seed.
Lahyani stood over the seated Kyrgios, berating the 23-year-old.
"I want to help you," Lahyani could be heard saying. "This isn't you. I know that."
At 2-5 down, Kyrgios spent the changeover slumped in his chair with his arms behind his head, biting on a towel and fidgeting with his eyebrows as the second round clash appeared to be slipping away from him.
However, Lahyani's intervention eventually had the desired effect, as Kyrgios recovered to take the second set on a tiebreak and then the third to lead two sets to one.
The umpire's intervention was derided on social media.
Richard Ings, a former umpires chief on the ATP, said Lahyani's move was unprecedented.
"I am racking my brain to think of a situation requiring a chair umpire to speak like that to one player," Ings tweeted.
"I umpired thousands of matches I was ATP head of officiating I can’t think of one."
Croatia player Donna Vekic added: "Didn’t know umpires were allowed to give pep talks."