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Kyrgios Begins Fall Season with Win in Kuala Lumpur



Aussie Nick Kyrgios began his quest to earn an Australian Open seeding with an abbreviated victory at the Malaysian Open on Monday. Sporting a less colorful mohawk and a more serious demeanor, the World No. 42 and seventh seed defeated Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo, 6-1, 2-1 (RET), to set up a second-round encounter with either Jarkko Nieminen or Tatsuma Ito.

More: Sharapova out with another injury in Wuhan

Kyrgios has no points to defend for the rest of the season, and therefore has a good shot to home in on a seeding for the 2016 Australian Open. Because he had a difficult summer and was not seeded in New York, Kyrgios learned first-hand about the difficulties of not being seeded at a major. He had to face Andy Murray in the first round of the US Open and fell in four sets.

The victory left Kyrgios one win from his first 20-win season. He reached his second Grand Slam quarterfinal this January in Melbourne, and later reached his first ATP final in Estoril, just a few weeks after defeating Roger Federer in a three-set epic in Madrid.

Flashback: Federer: "We Need a Clown for this Circus"

The 20-year-old has been at the center of controversy in recent months. In August he was disciplined by the ATP for his behavior during a much-publicized match with Stan Wawrinka in Montreal. If he avoids further fines through February 24, 2016 he will see his one-month suspension and $25,000 fine dismissed.

More: Federer, Wawrinka Weigh in on Kyrgios Sledge

In other action in Kuala Lumpur, Benjamin Becker took out Aussie Sam Groth, 6-1, 7-6(6).

On Tuesday, 5th-seeded Viktor Troicki, 6th-seeded Jeremy Chardy and 8th-seeed Vasek Pospisil will begin their campaigns.

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