Nick Kyrgios's fans showing support with Vegemite covered faces

Nick Kyrgios's fans back in Australia put together an odd show of support for the tennis star as he prepared for his round of 16 match against Richard Gasquet on Monday.

Nick Kyrgios's fans back in Australia put together an odd show of support for the tennis star as he prepared for his Round of 16 match against Richard Gasquet on Monday.

Kyrgios got a message from a fan on Facebook promising the world No. 29 that he would cover his face in Vegemite if he got a response.

The offer was too goo to pass up, and Kyrgios responded, promising to post a photo on his page, which set off a new trend among Australian tennis fans of putting the country's beloved vegetable paste all over their faces to show support.

• The Rock gives USWNT a pre-game pep talk

While Kyrgios's idea is funny as a concept, the photos show it may not have been the best of ideas, as some pointed out on Twitter.

WTF is up with Oz peeps sending blackface pics of themselves to @NickKyrgios to support him at tennis?! I don't get it on any level...

— Australia: Vote Yes (@WeAreAustralia) July 6, 2015

• Daily Data Viz: Roger Federer has served his way into Wimbledon Week Two

It turns out the vegetal facemasks were not enough, as Kyrgios fell to Gasquet on Monday morning in four sets.

[BuzzfeedAU]