"I had to be locked in" - Kyrgios after easy win over Paul in Houston

Nick Kyrgios is into the quarter-finals of The U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship for the first time since 2018 after defeating Tommy Paul 6-4 6-2.

The Australian overcame the American who is no stranger to clay, having won the 2015 French Open boys’ singles title, in 70 minutes. He will face another American - Michael Mmoh - in the next round of the ATP 250 competition after registering back-to-back wins.

Speaking after the match, Kyrgios said:

"He is a very good player. He is young and he has already shown what he can do and who he can beat. I had to be locked in today, I knew that I had to serve well. Probably one of the better matches I have played on clay in my career. I'm pretty happy with the way I came out here today, head down and went to work."

Kyrgios also praised the crowd explaining how comfortable he feels in the US:

"You guys make me feel at home,” he said. "I have always said if I didn't live in Australia, I live in the StateS. I love the States, I love the NBA (National Basketball Association), I love basketball. People are just so nice here and most of my good friends on Tour are Americans. Jack Sock, you know, he is a brother of mine. So I just love playing in the States, it is a lot of fun and it's great conditions here."