Tennis: Bad-boy Aussie Nick Kyrgios out after Richard Gasquet spanking in Ohio

Nick Kyrgios of Australia returns a shot to Richard Gasquet of France during their first round match on Day 4 of the Western & Southern Open at the Lidler Family Tennis Centre on August 18, 2015 in Cincinnati, Ohio in the US. PHOTO: AFP

CINCINNATI (AFP) - Controversial Nick Kyrgios was dumped out of the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Masters on Tuesday, a 6-2, 6-1 first-round victim of French 12th seed Richard Gasquet.

Kyrgios, building a reputation as the bad boy of the game, was unremarkable in his loss, which lasted for only 56 minutes on the cement of the American Midwest.

The 37th-ranked Australian is now short of match play after this week with the US Open starting in less than a fortnight.

Kyrgios ended with four aces and seven double-faults, with the experienced Gasquet breaking four times.

The French player now owns a 4-1 lead in their series and set up a second-round clash with Australian teenaged qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Kyrgios was beaten by Gasquet in their last meeting, the Estoril final on clay last May, a loss which denied Kyrgios a chance at his first ATP title.

The Australian was involved in a verbal dust-up last week in Montreal over crude remarks he made in a match over the personal life of Roland Garros champion Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland.

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