AUSTRALIAN firebrand Nick Kyrgios opened the New Year in fine style Sunday with a powerhouse win over Spaniard Feliciano Lopez at the Hopman Cup in Perth.

    But unfortunately for Kyrgios, he and teammate Daria Gavrilova, the defending champions in the mixed teams tournament, were upset 2-1 by Lopez and Lara Arruabarrena, allowing the Spaniards to clinch the tie.

    World number 66 Arruabarrena had earlier leveled the tie after securing an unexpected straight sets win over Gavrilova.

    The clash with Lopez was Kyrgios’ first official match since the 21-year-old was banned from the ATP tour in October after a tanking controversy in Shanghai, although he played in the International Premier Tennis League in December.

    Kyrgios, ranked 13 in the world, came out firing against the 35-year-old Lopez, gaining an early break and rifling six aces past the Spaniard in his first three service games. He served 14 aces and Kyrgios only faced one break point on his serve for the entire match, winning 6-3, 6-4.

    Earlier, the United States opened their campaign in style with a 3-0 win over the Czech Republic.(SD-Agencies)