Nick Kyrgios hit with long list of fines for Cincinnati meltdown

Nick Kyrgios has copped a heavy fine from the ATP and faces a possible suspension for verbally abusing the chair umpire during his second-round defeat to Karen Khachanov at the Cincinnati Masters.

The 24-year-old Australian won the opening set against his Russian opponent, despite foot and ankle issues, before unleashing a profanity-laced tirade at umpire Fergus Murphy, throwing his towel over a camera and forcing broadcasters of the US event to switch to an overhead view.

Kyrgios took umbrage with Murphy, who he has previous history with, over his monitoring of the shot clock and berated the Irishman for most of the match.

He became obsessed with the issue, repeatedly calling Murphy a "potato" and labelling him a "disgrace" and the "worst ref in the world".

Murphy eventually responded by handing Kyrgios a point violation after Khachanov won the second-set tie-breaker to level the match, when the Canberran overstepped the markby screaming out an obscenity.

Kyrgios then followed this up by asking for a toilet break. He took two racquets with him and smashed them in the players' tunnel before returning to the court.

After a double-fault handed Khachanov the match and the players shook hands, Kyrgios told Murphy "you're a f***ing tool bro" and appeared to spit in the direction of the umpire before he shunned the traditional handshake.

Kyrgios has been fined $A167,000 by the ATP.

I read War and Peace, The Iliad, The Odyssey, and the Holy Bible (King James Version) faster than it took me to get through the ATP’s entire list of Kyrgios fines. pic.twitter.com/7TnhgE7z7y

— Ricky Dimon (@Dimonator) August 15, 2019

Kyrgios major career fines: $243.866

2019 Cincinnati 113000$
2019 Rome 20000$
2018 Queen's 17500$
2018 AO 3000$
2017 Shanghai 31085$
2017 Us Open 5500$
2016 Shanghai 16500$
2016 Wimbledon 8690$
2016 RG 6200$
2016 AO 4370$
2015 W 13095$
2015 AO 4926$

(Anything missing ?)

— enrico maria riva (@enricomariariva) August 15, 2019

"The ATP is looking further into what happened during and immediately after the match to see if additional action is warranted under the Player Major Offense section of the code.

That could result in an additional fine and/or suspension," the game's governing body said in a statement on Thursday.

Khachanov's win means he will take on Frenchman Lucas Pouille in round three, who beat Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-4 6-4.

Kyrgios's Australian compatriot Alex de Minaur also bowed out of the Ohio tournament, losing 7-5 6-4 to Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka.