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Nick Kyrgios Gave Two Great Speeches Then Invited Everyone Out For Ice Cream

'I'd like to thank my mum for doing my washing.'
Oh well, nothing a little salted caramel won't fix.
USA Today Sports / Reuters
Oh well, nothing a little salted caramel won't fix.

So who's for some black cherry choc chip, or maybe some butter pecan or even -- yeah, this is real -- some pumpkin ice cream?

Nick Kyrgios lost the final of the Cincinatti Masters 3-6 5-7 to Bulgarian world number 11 Grigor Dimitrov, but he won the admiration of the crowd, and left an utterly delicious taste in everyone's mouth for three significant reasons.

Firstly, the 22-year-old Canberran said lovely things about his 26-year-old opponent in his runner-up speech.

"First of all I just want to congratulate Grigor, it's been great to see you back in top form. I was struggling a couple of weeks ago and he got me out on the practice court and we practised for an-hour-and-a-half and I was struggling and he was fresh, so, you had me mentally already today. I know this guy's fitter than me."

Secondly, Kyrgios thanked his mother. Has anybody ever failed to win over a crowd by so doing? The crowd chortled knowingly when he said:

"My mum, she travels with me and she does my washing, so, yeah."

But the Kyrgios masterstroke was doing the equivalent of what a touring musician says when they go "thank you (insert city), you rock!" Kyrgios took that a step further by inviting the whole crowd for a post-match ice cream at Graeter's, a local Ohio-based ice cream franchise. They really loved that.

"I had a great week, I'm looking forward to coming here next year. This place is awesome. I'm going to go to Graeter's after, so whoever wants to come, I'm there."

Kyrgios has been winning over fans all week, and not just for his sizzling forehands. Like this one.

And this one.

The press conference comments he made after his semi-final win over Spaniard David Ferrer were especially impressive. You can watch them below. In summary:

  • He said he would rather be remembered as "a kind person than an unbelievable tennis player";
  • He profusely thanked his travelling hitting partner Matt Reid. "He knows I'm crazy and he knows I love him," he said;
  • He explained that he "can't really give myself fully to the game" because of close family members who have passed away, whom he hadn't been able to see enough due to tennis;
  • He revealed he that Ferrer told him "learn to suffer" four years ago when, as Kyrgios put it, "I was eating KFC each day, pretty fat, not a great athlete. And I was like 'this guy's crazy'. But he's always has been a really kind to me".

Nick Kyrgios has moved from KFC to ice cream. The difference is he now waits until after the tournament to indulge. No wonder he just made the biggest final of his career.

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