Nick Kyrgios Marches Into Round Of 16 At Indian Wells

As a surprise to not many, Nick Kyrgios let his feelings be known after defeating foe Casper Ruud at the Indian Wells tournament on Tuesday.

The feud between the Aussie tennis larrikin and the Norwegian athlete began years ago, after Ruud labelled his opponent an "idiot" for throwing a chair onto the court during an Italian Open match.

Ruud called for Kyrgios to be banished from the game, which fired up the Australian on social media.

"I would appreciate you saying it to my face. I’m sure you wouldn’t run your mouth so much after that," Kyrgios said in a tweet following the 2019 match.

In the first appearance since their saga in Rome, Kyrgios was clinical defeating the 8th-seeded Ruud 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the final 16 players of the ATP masters event. 

"I hear no talking now. None. F**king none," Kyrgios was heard saying seconds after defeating Ruud in California.

The result means Kyrgios will compete for a ticket into the Indian Wells quarter-finals for the first time in five years.

Currently ranked as world number 132, Kyrgios will look to continue his clean streak against one of tennis' rising stars in Jannik Sinner.

The 20-year-old Italian is the youngest player ranked inside the ATP's top ten, and is enjoying a stellar season after reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open.

It'll be the first time the two players meet in their careers, with the winner advancing to face either Rafael Nadal or Reilly Opelka in the Masters quarterfinal.

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