Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

Photo courtesy IPTL

Nick Kyrgios has not been too enthusiastic about many aspects of tennis in the later stages of 2015 but the reduced pressure of the International Premier Tennis League seemed to rejuvenate the controversial Australian’s fervor.

The 20 year-old, who still plays on the main ATP World Tour with a threat of suspension hanging over his head for any form of undisciplined transgression, admitted: “Playing on the IPTL is the only time when I have so much fun on the tennis courts.”

Kyrgios was in Kobe, Japan for the opening day of the second IPTL season and although his team, the Singapore Slammers, were beaten 26-20 by the UAE Royals, he produced an excellent performance to beat world no.6 Tomas Berdych 6-2 in just 23 minutes.

“I love the IPTL, it’s a great format, its shows what tennis can be,” said Kyrgios who currently stands in 30th position on the ATP world rankings but struggled for consistency in the tail end of the regular season and only managed three wins after reaching the semi-final of the Malaysian Open in Bangkok more than two months ago.

“Personally I love playing in a team environment, I used to play basketball as a kid, so I love have team-mates around. I’ve been thinking of the IPTL all year round.

“We are a completely new team this time, with me being the only Slammer from last year, so in a way I can help the other players in my team. It’s sad we didn’t win today, but there’s still lot more tennis to look forward to in the coming weeks.”

Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.