Nick Kyrgios accidentally hit a child in the crowd with a tennis ball after lashing out from missing an easy shot, leaving the little boy in tears.
But his cries didn’t last long – as the Aussie tennis star immediately left the court to apologise before handing the kid his racquet.
The result was the best smile of the whole tournament.
Kyrgios meanwhile was more accurate within the lines, as he and best mate Thanasi Kokkinakis served out the first set 7-5 in their Australian Open quarter-final, before Michael Venus and Tim Puetz took the second.
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis won an early break in the third set and have the advantage as they look for a semi-final berth.
The match has been played in a ferocious and sometimes ugly fashion, with the crowd repeatedly booing the Aussies’ opponents, while enigmatic Kiwi Venus continues to taunt them after winning points.
Kyrgios and Venus have both had screaming matches with the female chair umpire, with the Aussie saying ‘you have no idea what you’re doing’ before smashing his racquet.
She has also struggled to contain the raucous John Cain Arena crowd, who continue to boo during points and even while the opposition pairing are serving.
Nick Kyrgios accidentally hit a child in the crowd with a tennis ball, leaving him in tears
Kyrgios and Venus have both had screaming matches with the female chair umpire, with the Aussie saying ‘you have no idea what you’re doing’ before smashing his racquet
Kyrgios held his hand over his mouth after he realised he’d smashed a ball into the child, raising his hand in apology and cringing after seeing the replay.
He then immediately ran to the edge of the stand where the boy was seated to speak with him and his mother.
The child’s family saw the lighter side of the incident, smiling and reassuring him as he burst into tears.
The 26-year-old continued to check on the condition of the boy, before handing the the little fan his racquet.
The young supporter’s eyes then lit up and a huge smile swept over his face.
The boy burst into tears in attendance after being smashed with a rogue Kyrgios shot
But the little boy’s cries didn’t last for long – as the Aussie tennis legend left the court to hand the him a racquet
Enigmatic Kiwi Venus continued to taunt the crowd after winning points, giving it out as good as he was receiving it
Kokkinakis served out the opening set 7-5 for the Aussie pairing against Venus and Puetz.
Venus was overheard complaining to the umpire following the set, saying he ‘doesn’t want to hear it’ after being warned over taking too long on his serve.
The Kiwi believed he was operating within the 25 second Grand Slam serve clock, aggressively pointing at the female official.
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis watched on as Venus refused to let the issue go, before the second set resumed.
Venus earned an early break in the second set for his pairing, screaming and cheering as he walked past his Aussie opponents after winning the game.
The Aussie pair then fell down an early break, with Kyrgios questioning why the serve clock hadn’t been reset earlier on key points.
‘You have no idea what you’re doing,’ he said to the French umpire.
Kyrgios has been gesturing to the crowd throughout the match, encouraging their raucous behaviour
Younger members have continued the Siu trend, emulating the celebration of Cristiano Ronaldo whenever Kyrgios hits a winner
The Aussie pair then fell down an early break, with Kyrgios questioning why the serve clock hadn’t been reset earlier on key points
The crowd have been at their raucuous best, cheering and jeering every point.
They booed the umpire after repeated attempts to ask them to be quiet during points.
Younger members have continued the ‘Siu’ trend, emulating the celebration of Cristiano Ronaldo whenever Kyrgios hits a winner.
Kyrgios smashed his racquet after losing the second set, as he and Venus continued to go at each other with shots and words.