Kyrgios seeks assault dismissal: reports

Australian tennis star wants to plead not guilty on mental health grounds

SYDNEY:

Tennis superstar Nick Kyrgios will seek to have an assault charge against him dismissed on mental health grounds, Australian media reported Tuesday.

Kyrgios's lawyer appeared for him at a hearing in Canberra magistrates court, where the Australian player faces a charge of common assault.

The 27-year-old Wimbledon finalist, who was not required to appear for the largely administrative hearing, is in Tokyo to take part in the Japan Open.

His lawyer, Michael Kukulies-Smith, sought an adjournment to allow time for a mental health assessment to be carried out, according to media including public broadcaster ABC and the Sydney Morning Herald.

Kukulies-Smith said his client's mental health issues were well known and he would seek to have the charge dismissed at a later date, they said.

The world number 20, at his first tournament since losing in the quarter-finals of the US Open last month, said earlier on Monday he had been dealing with the case "for months" and was taking it "day by day".

"There's only so much I can control and I'm taking all the steps and dealing with that off the court," Kyrgios, one of the most polarising figures in tennis, told reporters in Tokyo.

"I can only do what I can and I'm here in Tokyo and just trying to play some good tennis, continue that momentum and just try to do my job – and that's play tennis, play it well. That's it."

Kyrgios is likely to appear in person when the hearing returns to court.

The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for February 3.