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Andy Murray has branded the latest antics of his friend Nick Kyrgios as bad for tennis.

The Aussie has been fined US$113,000 (£93,254) for five separate acts of unsportsmanlike conduct during his defeat at the Cincinnati Masters and could yet be banned.

Included in the rap sheet was leaving the court without permission to smash two racquets and calling Irish umpire Fergus Murphy a “f***ing tool”.

The Scot has always acted as a mentor to the 24-year-old and has previously defended his actions.

But after Kyrgios' defeat to Karen Khachanov, Murray said: "I chatted to him a little bit after the match - it wasn't good, and I felt for Fergus as he shouldn't have to put up with that.

(Image: WENN.com)

"It's obviously up to him, and I think for the most part a couple of weeks ago in Washington, he did a good job of helping himself and using the crowd.

"But obviously this week, he went back to what he was doing before. You just hope he will figure it out, because a week like in Washington (where Kyrgios won the title) is really good for tennis, but last night isn't. Hopefully he gets it figured out."

Murray has decided not to play doubles at the US Open as he steps up his training for a full-time return to singles action.

(Image: SIPA USA/PA Images)

The former world No.1, who played his first singles match since January in Cincinnati, has instead accepted a wild card to play singles at the Winston-Salem Open next week.

He could then opt to play a second-tier Challenger event during the final Grand Slam of the year. “I'm not going to play doubles at the US Open," Murray said.

"My goal is to get back playing at the level that I want to on the singles court, and I've decided that I need to focus all my energies on that right now. The US Open, doubles and mixed, can be another couple of weeks that you are slowing things down."