WASHINGTON: Nick Kyrgios beat American Marcos Giron at the Citi Open, the Australian's first singles match since reaching the Wimbledon final.
Less than a month since reaching his first Grand Slam final before losing to Novak Djokovic, Kyrgios defeated Giron 6-2, 6-3.
It won't help him get over falling short at Wimbledon, which has not been easy.
But, winning more may boost his confidence.
"That was like the golden opportunity I felt for me," Kyrgios said of Wimbledon.
"There are so many things I would have done differently I think now that I have digested that match, but I'm doing all the right things to put myself in that position again. I think I'm doing that, and my whole team is helping me achieve that goal."
Following a tradition he started when he won this hard-court tuneup for the U.S. Open in 2019, he asked a fan where he should serve for match point and moved on to face Tommy Paul in the round of 32.
"I wish I had that experience when I was watching tennis matches," Kyrgios said.
"I think it's just a cool experience for someone that's paid money to come watch you play and potentially to go home with that memory."
Kyrgios is trying to move past the memory of losing to Djokovic at Wimbledon and bowing out in the first round of the Citi Open a year ago.
It helps that he thinks he's playing some of the best tennis of his career.
"I'm having a great year," he said.
"I think if Wimbledon had points, I think I'd be around top 15, top 20 in the world. I definitely feel like I'm playing that level of tennis if not top 10, top five at the moment."
Top-seeded Andrey Rublev advanced to the round of 16, beating Jack Draper 6-4, 6-2.
In the women's draw, Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic beat American Sloane Stephens 6-1, 6-4.