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Nick Kyrgios seems destined for a largely background part during Australia’s summer of tennis, following a brisk, anticlimactic defeat at the Brisbane International. For fans of the 30-year-old, the match was worrying, marking his initial solo match back in almost 10 months.

A Dominant Defeat

Kyrgios, who is recovering from knee and wrist surgeries, posed minimal challenge against American Aleksandar Kovacevic. Kovacevic, ranked 58 in the world, breezed past the Australian 6-3 6-4 in just 66 minutes, without giving up a break point opportunity.

The match disappointed the capacity crowd, who had anticipated that this return to solo tour play since March would springboard Kyrgios back to relevance. Instead, it justified the ongoing reluctance of Australian Open officials to hand the former world No. 13 a precious place in the major tournament.

“To be honest, I was expecting a little more than that in terms of challenge today,” Kovacevic said. “It proved tough to scout him recently because he hasn’t been on tour for a while.”

Physical Struggles Evident

The Australian's serve was breached on two occasions, and he faced difficulties moving and returning serve. He managed only one point on his rival's initial delivery. A shadow of the player he was at his peak, Kyrgios sported an support, a taped wrist, and a facial covering. During the match, he grimaced and glanced up, grabbing his elbow in clear pain.

His preparation for the summer had been confined to a series of exhibitions, including a much-publicized Battle of the Sexes. His lack of competitiveness on Tuesday appeared to surprise even his opponent.

A Question of Entry

The Battle of the Sexes winner was only playing singles in Brisbane thanks to a special invitation. However, Australian Open organisers have resisted giving Kyrgios the equivalent invitation for the main draw, even as lesser-known Australians have been given entries.

With only a few invites remaining for the men's competition, there is concern over whether Kyrgios’ conditioning merits a spot. His recent efforts have not shown to prove he is ready for the rigors of best-of-five tennis. Last season, he was ousted early and commented that he likely would not himself playing a singles match there again.

An Unusual Opportunity

This scenario also presents an unusual opportunity. Officials have been looking to maximise the draw of the lead-in week, which features exhibitions and qualifying. A new addition this season is the single-point knockout, a unique contest offering a major prize.

Kyrgios has already committed to that novelty, but he also told journalists he would be willing to try the qualification tournament if a main draw wildcard was not forthcoming.

A series of his trademark contests in that first week – even in qualifying rounds – might rapidly achieve what organizers have been attempting long-term: transform a fortnight of top-level sport into a three-week smorgasbord of sport-slash-entertainment. For a man who is often more profile than play, that may be a fitting legacy.