Kyrgios planning to fight on in Paris

A chronic hip injury and shoulder niggle is threatening to scupper Nick Kyrgios's hopes of making a French Open run at Roland Garros.

Nick Kyrgios is optimistic hip and shoulder complaints won't undermine his French Open assault as he braces for a stern early test on Tuesday.

Kyrgios opens against veteran German Philipp Kohlschreiber nursing the same chronic hip injury that forced his third-round mid-match retirement at last year's US Open.

Australia's 18th seed has also been receiving physiotherapy on his serving shoulder but is vowing to fight through the pain barrier at the season's second major.

"Obviously my body's giving me a bit of a hard time at the moment, but I'm ready to play," Kyrgios said.

"It's the same sort of stuff as the US Open. A couple of things going on, but then nothing major that I have to instantly pull out or anything like that.

"I can work through it."

Scans have cleared Kyrgios of any major structural damage to his hip and, unlike before the Australian Open when he was battling a knee injury, he's not required to take cortisone.

"Just a lot of rehab for it, getting a lot of exercises, getting a lot of treatment, just keeping everything around it pretty loose," he said.

"I'm doing rehab every day, which is something I don't usually do, but I'm doing like half an hour rehab on it every day.

"It feels okay. I think I've done everything I can for it, all the right things, so we'll see how it goes."

The 22-year-old dual grand slam quarter-finalist is confident the injury won't linger long-term.

"I think you can get rid of it. It probably needs some rest and then I can sort of build up again. That's how it's going to get away," Kyrgios said.

"But at this stage it's a tough period. Obviously I haven't had much rest.

"I took Rome off but I had tournaments to get ready for so it's not really the right rest that it needs.

"We'll see after this week how it pulls up and then obviously my main focus is Wimbledon.

"The grass suits my game most and I enjoy London and I enjoy playing there, so I think the grass is obviously my best chance."

Kyrgios said playing on the softer clay and grass surfaces offered more relief than the hard courts.

But he will likely need to dig deep against Kohlschreiber, a 50-slam veteran who regularly bobs up in the second week at the majors.

Kyrgios is among four Australians in action on Tuesday.

Thanasi Kokkinakis faces eighth-seed Kei Nishikori in a daunting return to grand slam tennis after 18 months battling injury.

Jordan Thompson plays 21st-seed John Isner and Ashleigh Barty also has a tough opener against women's 12th-seed Madison Keys.

AUSSIES IN ACTION AT THE FRENCH OPEN ON TUESDAY (PREFIX DENOTES SEEDING):

Women's singles, first round

Ashleigh Barty v 12-Madison Keys (USA)

Men's singles, first round

18-Nick Kyrgios v Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)

Thanasi Kokkinakis v 8-Kei Nishikori (JPN)

Jordan Thompson v 21-John Isner (USA)


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Source: AAP



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