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Kyrgios booed after withdrawing mid-match due to hip injury

Related Story: Kyrgios to sit out rest of 2017 season to prepare for Australian Open Related Story: Nick Kyrgios pulls out of French Open, no match against Bernard Tomic

Nick Kyrgios has courted controversy once more after he retired mid-match with a hip injury during his quarter final against Cameron Norrie at the Atlanta Open.

The Australian second seed was trailing the British left-hander 7-5 3-0 after 52 minutes of play when he decided he could not continue.

Kyrgios saw the trainer midway through the first set but that did not prevent the crowd booing him off court at the conclusion.

At times Kyrgios seemed disinterested in the contest with his effort in question late in the opening set before he double-faulted to give world number 73 Norrie the early break in the second.

External Link: usopen tweet: camnorrie advances to the semifinals of the @BBTatlantaopen after N. Kyrgios retires due to injury at 7-5, 3-0

Kyrgios has suffered repeatedly with injury problems over the past year, calling an early end to his 2017 season in October to recover from hip, knee and shoulder injuries.

The world number 18 also missed out on the 2018 French Open with an elbow injury.

This is not the first time Kyrgios has been booed off court in the United States, with the Australian suffering similar abuse this time last season when he retired hurt from the Washington Open when a set and 0-3 down to American Tennys Sandgren.

Kyrgios was also fined $US10,000 for walking off court in the Shanghai Masters in 2017, later citing stomach problems and an injured shoulder as the reason for his abrupt exit.

Kyrgios had looked in good shape in Atlanta a US Open series event that acts as a lead-up to the season's fourth grand slam, the US Open which starts on August 27 at Flushing Meadows.

External Link: usopen tweet: some hot forehands from NickKyrgios give him a straight-sets win and a spot in the quarterfinals of the BBTatlantaopen.

Matt Ebden will fly the Australian flag in the last four after he required just 71 minutes to defeat Marcos Baghdatis.

The Australian world number 55 broke the Cypriot's serve three times to secure a comfortable 6-3 6-2 win over the former Australian Open finalist.

Ebden is through to his second tour-level semi-final of the year as he strives for his maiden ATP Tour title.

The 30-year-old has not dropped a set in Atlanta but will face a stern test when he faces top seed John Isner for a place in the final.

External Link: usopen tweet: With an !! Mattebden smashes his 7th ace of the match to earns the first SF spot at the BBTatlantaopen, taking out Baghdatis 6-3, 6-2. He will face the winner of IsnerZverev.

The American was pushed to three sets by German sixth seed Mischa Zverev before he prevailed 7-5 4-6 6-1, dropping just two first-serve points in the match and sending down 21 aces.

Ebden is 1-3 against Isner but won their past meeting in January at the Australian Open.

"I am definitely playing better than I was in the beginning of the year. I was struggling a little bit," Isner, a four-times champion in Atlanta, said.

"To his credit, he [Ebden] played much better than me that day in Australia. He had the home crowd on his side. It helps a lot.

"Now, I'm playing in my backyard and he beat me in his backyard. We'll see if I can turn the tide."

American eighth seed Ryan Harrison advanced to a semi-final clash with Norrie by beating South Korean third seed Chung Hyeon 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 7-6 (7-5).

"This is exactly what the doctor ordered for me," Harrison said.

"It was a little nervy from both of us there at the end."

ABC/AAP

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