Kyrgios pledges to donate $50 per ace for hurricane-hit Puerto Rico

After firing 11 aces in his 3-6 6-2 6-2 win over Mischa Zverev at the China Open on Wednesday, the Australian world number 19 pledged $50 for every one of them to help victims of hurricane-hit Puerto Rico.

(Reuters)

The 22-year-old joined forces with Monica Puig to donate $10 (7.54 pounds)for every ace he hit until the end of the year, but said in a statement that he was raising the amount after reaching the quarter-finals in Beijing.

Puig initiated fundraising efforts on social media after Hurricane Maria devastated her native Puerto Rico and Kyrgios has been actively championing the cause.

"In light of what's happened in Puerto Rico and seeing so many good people struggle, I will be helping fellow tennis player Monica Puig in her admirable fund raising efforts to help the great people of Puerto Rico," Kyrgios had said.

The worst to hit the U.S. territory in more than 90 years, Hurricane Maria has killed at least 19 people.

(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)