Nick Kyrgios has vowed to be fit for Wimbledon after retiring hurt midway through his Queen's Club first-round clash against American world No.55 Donald Young.
Serving well and returning confidently in the opening set, Kyrgios slipped and fell awkwardly at the back of the court with the scores tied at 4-4 and immediately summoned for a trainer.
After taking a medical time-out for treatment to his troublesome hip, Kyrgios returned to play the next four games, but shook hands with Young after losing a the opening set tiebreak 7-3, gifting the left-hander a path to the second round.
Kyrgios said on Saturday he felt pain-free for the first time in seven months after receiving jabs in his shoulder and hip, but despite his obvious discomfort post-match was adamant he'll be fit for Wimbledon on July 2.
"I went to the doctors and they gave me some anti-inflammatories," Kyrgios said.
"I'm not going to get a scan, as yet. I got the injections a couple weeks ago, and then I was in rehab for a couple of weeks. It settled down, and then on that fall I just felt sharp pain.
"I felt pretty much everything I was feeling a month ago. It's not great at the moment. But we'll see."
Kyrgios maintained he'd have still pulled the pin on a searingly hot day in London, had he won the opening set, to ensure he gives himself the best chance of being fit for the All England Club.
"I mean, there are worse things in the world than a guy slipping playing tennis. I'm sure I'll live," he said.
"I don't know if it felt worse (than before), but it just was a sharp pain.
"I started feeling it when I was walking, when I was landing on my serve. It's exactly what I was feeling in Paris. I mean, it's tough to play through.
"Obviously my main goal is to play well at Wimbledon, so I'm going to try and get it better and rehab it and hopefully it settles down.
"I'd play Wimbledon if I was injured pretty bad, anyway. I'm here ... I don't really have time to go home. I will be playing, for sure."
Asked what he'd now do to wile away the time at the house he's renting in Wimbledon with his mother, and girlfriend, Kyrgios quipped: "Dog and Fox," - a reference to a local pub in the affluent suburb.
Young, who came across to check on Kyrgios as he lay prostrate on the court, said he felt sympathy for his opponent.
"It's rough to see him go down like that, especially on surfaces like grass and clay - it's not for sure certain footing," said Young,
"I'm not going to act like I'm happy to get through that way, but at the end of the day I'm happy to be through to the second round as well."
Earlier, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Adrian Mannarino 6-2 6-2, and sixth-seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov - the winner in 2014 - defeated Ryan Harrison 6-3 6-1.
Tomas Berdych overcame Steve Darcis of Belgium 7-5 6-3 with local favourite Kyle Edmond crashing out to Canadian qualifier Denis Shapovalov 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 6-4.
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