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Nick Kyrgios wants kids around the world to dream big after morphing from a bullied, overweight junior into a Wimbledon finalist.

Kyrgios, of Greek-Malaysian descent, has spoken often about being taunted as a child for being fat and from an ethnic background and took to Instagram on Friday to post a picture of that kid from some 15 years ago.

"Hungry. I was hungry," Kyrgios smiled when asked what he was like at that age.

"Yeah, I think it's just hilarious because, like, I don't think I'm supposed to be someone like me.

"I look at that photo, I grew up in Canberra, the courts I trained on were horrible, and now I'm in the chance to play the Wimbledon final.

"I think it's honestly an inspiration for any sort of kid who's kind of been outcasted or just been surrounded by negative headlines.

"I feel like it's possible, it's still possible to achieve something quite special if you just believe in yourself.

"I never really lost belief in myself. I feel like most people around me at some stage in my life have lost belief that I would ever make a grand slam final, doubted me a little bit in my behaviour or just the way I trained.

"I think everyone, it's safe to say. That's fine they doubted me - but I never lost belief in myself.

"I think that's just a strong message for any kid who doubts himself. Just keep going.

"Look at that photo, I literally look like Manny from 'Modern Family'!"

Despite his overdue foray to a maiden grand slam final at age 27, Kyrgios doesn't want to be burdened with the expectation of carrying the torch for the next generation after the big three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and six-times champion Novak Djokovic, his opponent on Sunday.

World sport's most dominant triumvirate boast an incomprehensible 62 grand slam crowns between them.

Kyrgios says the trio can never be replaced.

"I don't think anyone's able to fill those shoes, to be honest with you," he said.

"We've got a great crop of young players coming up. (Carlos) Alcaraz is unbelievable. (Jannik) Sinner, you saw what he's able to do.

"So many younger guys. Even (Brandon) Nakashima, the way he played this tournament.

"I don't think that myself or those guys are able to fill those shoes.

"We'll never see a competitor like Rafa again. You'll never see someone wield a racquet like Roger, so effortlessly. You'll never probably see anyone who just wins and just plays the game just so good as a winner than Djokovic.

"Once they're gone, I'm not sure."

Kyrgios, who teased about retiring if he won Wimbledon on Sunday, hopes he can be allowed to savour the moment if he beats Djokovic.

"I feel like if I ever am able to lift a grand slam trophy, like, please don't put the pressure on me to do another one. Like, I'm not," he said.

Kyrgios said it would be "a sad day" when Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are no longer playing.

"I feel like humans, we take for granted how good athletes are at times," he said.

"LeBron (James), for instance, in NBA, he's been around for 18 years, 19 years almost, at the top of the sport, and we still criticise him.

"Federer, Nadal, Djokovic - these guys are, like, so rare."

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The Wallabies may have threatened a fairytale comeback despite a raft of fresh injuries, but they ended up blowing their chance in a 25-17 rugby Test loss to England in Brisbane.

The visitors led 19-0 in the first half on Saturday but Australia edged to within five points late at Suncorp Stadium, despite four injuries and a yellow card to Dave Rennie's men.

But some costly turnovers when they had all the running hurt the Wallabies, who scored two tries to England's one but had to watch as man-of-the-match Owen Farrell booted six penalties.

Rennie lamented poor tackling, England's early collision dominance and costly late mistakes for the loss.

"I don't want to be here talking about injuries," he said

"That's part of the game and we've had a few but wasn't the reason we lost tonight."

It creates a series decider in Sydney next Saturday when the Wallabies' depth will be tested after a heavy injury toll that had already piled up in Perth's opener.

The much-hyped Jordan Petaia fullback experiment lasted just three minutes before he was concussed making a tackle.

The 22-year-old struggled to get to his feet when he eventually limped off and will almost certainly miss next week's third Test in Sydney.

His injury made it a third fullback casualty for the Wallabies in the series, after Tom Banks broke his arm in Perth and Andrew Kellaway (hamstring) pulled up lame during the week.

Izaia Perese's potential ACL knee injury to begin the second half was another cruel blow for the in-form NSW Waratahs back and Rennie.

The casualty ward was overrun when substitute forward Scott Sio (arm) and lock Cadeyrn Neville (knee) also left the field with issues in the second half.

Perese had earlier received a yellow card for a deliberate knock down, his attempt to intercept Marcus Smith's long pass judged by the TMO as an illegitimate attempt to catch the ball.

It capped a mostly horrible first half for the Wallabies, Ellis Genge's thunderous run to bowl over Michael Hooper setting the tone in the first minute.

Billy Vunipola cruised over in line-out maul to open the scoring before Owen Farrell kicked four first-half penalties to build a 19-0 lead.

Australia's first visit into England's quarter brought a simple try, Taniela Tupou crashing over in his return from a calf injury to make it 19-7 at the break.

Samu Kerevi's try in the 48th minute made it an eight-point game before Smith saw yellow for a deliberate knock-on, when the hosts edged another three points closer.

Then Tom Wright, who shared fullback duties with an out-of-sorts James O'Connor, worked some magic with the play of the night.

His sharp break, long kick and one-handed tackle into touch gifted the Wallabies prime position.

But they handed the ball straight back with Folau Fainga'a's wonky lineout throw and Farrell took three points down the other end to create an eight-point buffer.

Again the Wallabies missed touch after earning a penalty as chances went begging, a forward pass also halting a promising raid in the final few minutes as Australia's unbeaten run at the venue was halted at 10 Tests.

England coach Eddie Jones was pleased with his side's early physicality and late grit to get home.

"It might be the scent from the (nearby XXXX) brewery that encourages the players to get stuck into each other," Jones, unbeaten in five Tests as a coach at Suncorp Stadium said.

Jones said Genge appeared "a little bit annoyed and ... wanted to make a mark on the game" while he said Vunipola "had a good look in his eyes before the game".

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A steady stream of mourners are visiting the scene of the bloody assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in the western city of Nara, following an unusual act of violence that has shocked the nation.

Japan's longest-serving modern leader was gunned down while making a campaign speech on Friday morning, apparently by a 41-year-old man, in an attack decried by the political establishment as an attack on democracy itself.

"I'm just shocked that this kind of thing happened in Nara," said Natsumi Niwa, a 50-year-old housewife, after offering flowers with her 10-year-old son near the scene of the killing at a downtown railway station.

Abe, a conservative and architect of the 'Abenomics' policies aimed at boosting the Japanese economy, inspired the name of her son, Masakuni, with his rallying cry of Japan as a "beautiful nation", Niwa said. Kuni means nation in Japanese.

A night vigil will be held on Monday, with Abe's funeral to take place on Tuesday, attended by close friends, Japanese media said.

There was no immediate word on any public memorial service.

"I am simply speechless over the news of Abe's death," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, a protege of the former leader, told reporters on Friday.

"This attack is an act of brutality that happened during the elections - the very foundation of our democracy - and is absolutely unforgivable."

Meanwhile, campaigning resumed on the final day of electioneering before polling for the upper house of parliament, which is expected to deliver victory to the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, a protege of the former leader.

Police, meanwhile, are scrambling to establish the motive behind the attack.

Abe's death has raised questions about the security measures for public figures in Japan, where politicians commonly make direct appeals to voters outside train stations and supermarkets.

A strong election performance "could catalyse Kishida to push for Abe's unfulfilled goal of amending Japan's constitution to allow for a stronger role for the military", James Brady, vice president at advisory firm Teneo, wrote in a note.

Abe became Japan's youngest post-war premier when he took office in September 2006 at the age of 52.

He was rushed to a local hospital in Nara, some 480km west of the capital Tokyo, following the shooting.

He did not regain consciousness and was pronounced dead about five-and-a-half hours after the late-morning attack.

A motorcade believed to be carrying the body of the slain politician left the hospital early on Saturday for his Tokyo residence.

Kishida spoke on Saturday with US President Joe Biden, who expressed his condolences and praised Abe's leadership, broadcaster NHK reported.

Abe was key in the creation of the Quad grouping aimed at countering China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

The other members, the United States, India and Australia, expressed shock at the assassination in a joint statement.

"We will honour Prime Minister Abe's memory by redoubling our work towards a peaceful and prosperous region," the statement said.

© RAW 2022