"You do realise you have a long way to go if you are going to try and match the likes of these great champions out there"
Monday 9 October 2017 16:22, UK
Annabel Croft believes firebrand Australian Nick Kyrgios has a long way to go before he can really start challenging the very best players in the world.
The mercurial Kyrgios is known as much for his volatile temper as his prodigious talent and showcased the best and worst of his game at last week's China Open in Beijing.
Kyrgios was docked a point for arguing with the umpire over a close line call during his emphatic 6-2 6-1 defeat by Rafael Nadal in Sunday's final.
The combustible but talented 22-year-old has admitted to not being dedicated enough during his roller-coaster career and Sky Sports analyst Croft feels "he is so difficult to fathom as a player".
"As we keep saying he is so complex. He can go in a spiral and get in the doldrums and then it takes quite a lot to lift him," said the former British women's No 1.
"He then needs other people around him and the right advice that he can respond to and lift his spirits a little bit.
"You look at that match today and you think 'wow, you have got a long way to go' and it's not about the tennis - it's more about him as a person, his attitude and his ability to move on from difficult moments in matches.
"There are always going to be bad line calls but the fact that he ranted for so much of the first set, wasting so much energy and focus. You do realise you have a long way to go if you are going to try and match the likes of these great champions out there.
"They couldn't be more polar opposites in terms of the attitude on court. Nadal, as we know, has been brought up to completely and utterly respect every single opponent, respect every decision from umpires. The attitude and the application to every single point is of 100 per cent commitment.
"With Kyrgios the body language is very negative - he spent so much of the match shaking his head all the way through. He is so difficult to fathom as a player."
Sky Sports Tennis will have all the action from the Shanghai Masters before we head to the Erste Bank Open and Swiss Indoors Basel and then the Paris Masters.
The Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan and season-ending extravaganza World Tour Finals at London's O2 in November end another memorable year which will be covered via our website sky.mnosports.com/tennis with live blogs and updates as the season reaches its climax.
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