Australian starlet Nick Kyrgios has rejected suggestions that he called the umpire "dirty scum" after disputing a line call during his first-round match against Diego Schwartzman at Wimbledon.
The 20-year-old shouted the remark during his three-set win over the Argentine, but has insisted that he was not directly referring to the umpire.
Kyrgios, who ousted Rafael Nadal in last year's tournament, has also insisted that he would not be 'bothered' if he was fined for his comments.
"I knew you guys would ask me about it," the Australian said in a press conference. "You get caught up in the heat of the moment. I thought the call was wrong. I wasn't referring to the ref, it was towards myself.
"It wouldn't bother me one bit [if I was fined]. I play my sport the way I play it, I'm not going to change. I think the sport needs characters. It's good when the crowd see someone raw."
Kyrgios reached the quarter-finals of the tournament last year.
Danielle Joynson
