Melbourne: A focused Nick Kyrgios conceded just seven games in powering Australia to a 2-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the first day of their Davis Cup World Group tie yesterday.
The controversial world No.15 took just 95 minutes to reel off a 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 win over the 157th-ranked Jan Satral and tighten Australia's grip on the hardcourt tie at Kooyong in Melbourne.
Rookie Jordan Thompson upset Czech No.1 Jiri Vesely 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in the opening singles match in two hours and six minutes.
Thompson, 22 and ranked 65, made surprisingly light work of the 54th-ranked Vesely to sink the Czech Republic's hopes of splitting the opening day singles.
Kyrgios, who was fined US$5,500 for swearing and throwing his racquet after a stormy second round exit to Andreas Seppi at last month's Australian Open, showed no such behaviour under the watchful eye of Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt.
He maintained his focus, kept his emotions in check and sent down 21 aces.
"That's my main weapon," Kyrgios said. "I'm always trying to develop that part of my game. That's what I'm aiming to do every match."
The big-hitting Kyrgios overwhelmed the hapless Satral although the Australian needed six match points to finally put away the Czech.
Kyrgios said it wasn't as easy to win against a rookie opponent as some expected.
"I had a week in Miami [after the Australian Open] and flew back so I didn't have that long to prepare -- about five days," he told reporters.
"There were some pre-match nerves. I haven't played that many matches in 2017.
"It's never easy playing a guy you don't know that well. He had nothing to lose."
Kyrgios improved his record to 5-3 in singles rubbers against Satral, who was making his Davis Cup debut.
Australia can wrap up the tie with victory in today's pivotal doubles through the pairing of John Peers and Sam Groth.
Doubles specialist Peers is fresh off a Grand Slam title win at the Australian Open, while Groth reached the quarter-finals of the men's doubles in Melbourne.
Czech captain Jaroslav Navratil said former world No.8 Radek Stepanek was in doubt for the doubles with an unspecified injury.
Stepanek, 38, has a history of back problems which almost ended his career in 2014.
It is the eighth meeting in the Davis Cup for the two nations, with Australia leading 7-1.
Australia won their last meeting 3-2 at the same stage two years ago in Ostrava.
THAIS GO ONE AHEAD
Thailand No.2 Jirat Navasirisomboon put the Thai team 1-0 ahead after beating Kuwait's top player Abdullah Maqdes on the first day of their Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group 2 clash in Kuwait yesterday.
With the cold weather persisting in Kuwait, Jirat, ranked No.997 in the world and playing in his first ever Davis Cup match, was impressive against experienced world No.1,298 Maqdes.
Jirat got off to a good start and he took the first two sets 6-2, 6-2 comfortably.
However, Maqdes played more aggressively and unleashed some powerful groundstrokes to unsettle the young Thai in the third set.
The see-sawing set was decided on a tie-breaker with the Kuwaiti emerging a 7-6 (7/4) winner to close the gap to 2-1.
Maqdes made numerous unforced errors in the fourth, allowing Jirat to break his serve in the fourth game and take a 3-1 lead.
Maqdes broke back in the seventh to make it 4-3, but Jirat took his remaining two service games to win the set 6-4 and help Thailand pick up their first point in the battle.
Jirat said: "I am very pleased to claim the first point for the team.
"It was my first Davis Cup match for Thailand, so it wasn't easy for me. The opponent also played very well.
"In the third set, I lost concentration and made lots of unforced errors. But luckily I could come back in the fourth set.
"For the reverse singles match on Sunday [tomorrow], I will have to improve my groundstrokes and I hope to win the match again for the team." AFP/Bangkok Post