Aussie tennis star Nick Kyrgios enlists help of Hewitt

CANBERRA - Australia's strife-prone tennis star Nick Kyrgios has enlisted the help of former "bad boy" Lleyton Hewitt to help mentor him in the lead-up to the US Open.

Nick Kyrgios of Australia reacts after winning his match against Fernando Verdasco of Spain (not pictured) during the Rogers Cup tennis tournament at Uniprix Stadium.  [Photo/Agencies]

Kyrgios, 20, has been without a full-time coach since he split with Todd Larkham before Wimbledon in June, but has asked Hewitt to fill the void in the lead up to the year's last Grand Slam.

Kyrgios' mother, Nill, has said that her son will learn a great deal from Davis Cup teammate Hewitt, who is someone the young player admires greatly on and off the court.

"He will listen to Lleyton because he knows what he's talking about, he's been at the top and been world No. 1," Nill told the Canberra Times on Tuesday.

"What Nick doesn't like is when people who haven't been in that situation give him advice, but he'll listen to someone like Lleyton."

Kyrgios lost to Aleksandr Nedovyesov in Darwin, a little-known player currently ranked 96 in the world. Following the result, Kyrgios did not compete in any other matched during the tie.

Tennis experts have lauded the decision as a big step in Kyrgios' mental development with one Australian tennis writer labeling the decision as Kyrgios' "smartest move yet."

The US Open runs from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 at Flushing Meadows in New York.