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Cape Town - Stefanos Tsitsipas says that the sport of tennis 'needs' players like Nick Kyrgios after the Australian dumped him out of the Citi Open in Washington.
The duo met at the semi-final stage and put on an incredible show, with Kyrgios eventually shading it in a third-set tiebreaker.
The match was not short of the usual Kyrgios 'antics', with rackets smashed, crowd interaction, and expressive celebrations seen throughout - and all that is fine with Tsitsipas.
"Nick, in my opinion, is underrated. I guess the rivalry between me and him, it looks bright," Tsitsipas, who was the top seed for the tournament, said.
"Some people love him, some people hate him. I believe we need people like him in the game.
"Otherwise everything becomes too serious. He's fun."
For the second match in a row, Kyrgios offered an interactive experience for supporters as he served on match point.
The Australian went over to a member of the crowd and consulted him before winning the point.
"I just go there and I ask them where they want me to serve. And it’s two-for-two," Kyrgios said.
