Nick Kyrgios sets up second-round match with reigning French Open champion Stan Wawrinka in Montreal

Nick Kyrgios kicked off his Montreal campaign with a three-set victory over Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-3 4-6 6-4 in the first round of the 2015 Rogers Cup on Wednesday. Kyrgios will play third-seeded Stan Wawrinka in the second round.

“He plays unbelievable tennis,” Kyrgios said of Wawrinka ahead of their second-round clash, Associated Press reports. “He’s got big everything - forehand, backhand, and he’s a great athlete.”

Kyrgios, who chose the hard courts in Montreal as his first tournament since the 2015 Wimbledon Championships, said he was happy with his first-round victory. The Canberra said that he needs to add power to his serve if he wants to further advance in Montreal. Kyrgios added that he also needs to be able to control the match to survive the Wawrinka test.

Kyrgios trails in their ATP head-to-head series 0-1. Their only encounter came this year in the first round of the Aegon Championships at Queen’s Club, where Wawrinka won 6-3 6-4.

Kyrgios recently enlisted Lleyton Hewitt as his mentor as he continues his preparations for the upcoming U.S. Open. Kyrgios, who parted ways with coach Todd Larkham before Wimbledon, is yet to find a replacement, which is why the two-time grand slam champion, Hewitt, has offered his guidance to help the Canberran in the sport. Kyrgios and Hewitt will play doubles at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Montreal.

In other matches, Australian Bernard Tomic also moved on to the next round after securing straight-sets victory over Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-3 6-3. Tomic will face defending U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic, the number 16 seed, in the second round. The Croatian leads their ATP head-to-head series 2-0. Both of their previous clashes took place in the second round of grand slam tournaments at the 2010 Australian Open and 2011 U.S. Open.

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