Outrage as umpire's pep talk helps Nick Kyrgios to US Open win

Chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani is under fire for sparking Nick Kyrgios' US Open comeback win with a controversial mid-match pep talk at Flushing Meadows.

US Open Tennis — Nick Kyrgios, of Australia, returns a shot to Pierre-Hugues Herbert, of France, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament. Source: AAP

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Published 31 August 2018 2:01pm

Updated 1 September 2018 12:29pm

By Sanae Ouahib

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An extraordinary mid-match pep talk from the chair umpire has fired Nick Kyrgios into a likely US Open third-round blockbuster with Roger Federer in New York.

Swedish official Mohamed Lahyani is already under fire for his unprecedented intervention but Kyrgios rolls on after pulling off a drama-charged 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-0 comeback win over Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert.