Nick Kyrgios Archives

Nadal wins but Kyrgios suffers Australian Open heartbreak

MELBOURNE: Rafael Nadal launched his Australian Open title defence with a four-set victory over Britain’s Jack Draper on Monday as home hope Nick Kyrgios quit through injury without hitting a ball.

In the women’s draw, top seed Iga Swiatek survived a tough examination while Jessica Pegula and teenage prodigy Coco Gauff were both emphatic winners on the first day of action.

Spanish great Nadal, 36, had been in poor form by his sky-high standards, losing six of his last seven matches stretching back to defeat in the last 16 at the US Open.

In fast-rising Draper, 21, the 22-time Grand Slam champion faced a stern test to start his campaign at a sweltering Melbourne Park.

The top seed recovered from a second-set wobble — and a bizarre incident when a ball boy accidentally took his racquet — to defeat the 38th-ranked Briton 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 at Rod Laver Arena.

Nadal, who recently became a father, faces American Mackenzie McDonald in round two.

“Very exciting, new beginning, just super-happy to be back at Rod Laver with a victory I needed,” he said after grinding down Draper.

“Last couple of months have not been easy for me.”

Nadal was on court when Australia’s talented but temperamental Kyrgios called a hastily arranged press conference and announced that he was out of the tournament with a knee injury.

“I’m devastated, obviously,” said the Wimbledon finalist, who was considered an outside bet to win a maiden Grand Slam crown.

“I’ve had some great tournaments here, winning the doubles last year and playing the tennis of my life probably going into this event.

“I’m just exhausted from everything, and (it’s) obviously pretty brutal.”

The first Grand Slam of the year had already lost several stars in the build-up.

Injured men’s world number one Carlos Alcaraz and two-time Melbourne champion Naomi Osaka — who is expecting her first child — are among the other players missing.

Nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, who was detained and deported ahead of last year’s tournament after refusing to get vaccinated for Covid, begins his title assault on Tuesday.

Other winners on Monday included third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who saw off dogged Vasek Pospisil in an all-Canadian clash.

Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, losing finalist in 2021 and 2022, fired up his bid to go one better with a straight-sets demolition of Marcos Giron.

But 21st seed Borna Coric fell to Czech player Jiri Lehecka in straight sets.

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Khachanov downs Kyrgios to set-up Ruud duel for US Open final spot

NEW YORK: Karen Khachanov set up a US Open semi-final duel with Casper Ruud on Tuesday when he battled past “devastated” Nick Kyrgios in a big-hitting five-setter, shattering the Australian crowd-pleaser’s dreams of a maiden Grand Slam title.

Russian 27th seed Khachanov triumphed 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4 over the Wimbledon runner-up to make the last-four at a major for the first time.

Earlier Tuesday, Norwegian fifth seed Ruud defeated Italy’s Matteo Berrettini 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) to make his second Slam semi-final of 2022 having finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal at the French Open.

Khachanov fired 30 aces and a total of 63 winners past Kyrgios.

“I did it, guys. Finally, you are showing me some love,” Khachanov told the mostly pro-Kyrgios crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“It was a crazy match I was expecting it would be like this. I’m ready to run, to fight to play five sets. We played almost four hours and that’s the only way to beat Nick.”

The Russian said he had “nothing to lose” when he faces Ruud on Friday.

“I would like to win it,” said Khachanov who lost to the Norwegian on clay in Rome in 2020 in their only previous meeting.

“But as deep as you go the expectations rise up. I did the step forward, I made my first semi-final and I think I have nothing to lose.

“I just want to go for it and be ready for the next match and hopefully it will be a good one.”

Kyrgios, who had knocked out defending champion Daniil Medvedev in the last-16, hit 31 aces in his 75 winners.

However, his unforced error count of 58 was almost double the 31 of Khachanov.

“I’m devastated. It’s heart-breaking for me and everyone,” said Kyrgios.

“I feel like I have let so many people down.”

After Kyrgios had levelled the contest just after midnight with a dominant tiebreaker, he allowed Khachanov to break for a 1-0 lead in the final set.

Kyrgios then failed to convert break points in the second and fourth games and his chance was gone.

They were two of seven break points saved by the Russian on the night.

Khachanov went to match point off a net cord and claimed victory from an unreturned serve after three hours and 39 minutes of action.

Ruud reached the US Open semi-finals for the first time after breaking Berrettini five times while saving seven of nine break points.

He raced through the first two sets under the roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium before 2019 semi-finalist Berrettini stopped the rot with a break for 2-0 in the third.

At 2-5 down, the 23-year-old Ruud saved two set points before recovering and going on to dominate the tiebreak.

“It was a better start to a match than I ever had before. Everything was going my way plus Matteo didn’t serve as well as he usually does,” said seventh-ranked Ruud who could finish the US Open as the new world number one.

“I got a little nervous towards the end of the second set because things were going a little too well.

“You think you can walk on water, which is not possible. The third set was very tough.”

Berrettini, who missed the French Open because of a hand injury and Wimbledon due to Covid, admitted he had endured a day to forget.

“Nothing more I can say than the worst day of the tournament probably in the most important moment,” he said.

The remaining quarter-finals take place on Wednesday.

Frances Tiafoe, the conqueror of Rafael Nadal, takes on Andrey Rublev while Carlos Alcaraz, the third seed, meets Jannik Sinner.

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Kyrgios beats No. 1 Medvedev at Montreal, Alcaraz and Tsitsipas ousted

MONTREAL: Nick Kyrgios rallied to topple world number one Daniil Medvedev at the ATP Montreal Masters on Wednesday as the top three seeds tumbled in the second round.

Australia’s Wimbledon finalist beat Medvedev 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 6-2 to produce his second career upset of a reigning number one after ambushing Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2014.

Unseeded American Tommy Paul also came from a set down to send second-seeded Carlos Alcaraz of Spain packing 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 while unseeded Briton Jack Draper beat third-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 7-5, 7-6 (7/4).

Kyrgios started the landslide. The mercurial Aussie produced his usual on-court antics, complaining about a high bounce, hitting a ball into the stands to draw a warning and bickering with his player box in moments of tension.

But after gathering his formidable resources, the 27-year-old ranked 37th finished off Medvedev in exactly two hours.

“I don’t go in looking at the rankings, just the guy in front of me,” Kyrgios said. “I had a clean objective today — play a lot of serve and volley and execute better.

“”Hopefully I can keep this rolling and keep on winning.”

Both players were coming off weekend title wins, Kyrgios at the Washington 500 on Sunday and Medvedev at Los Cabos, Mexico, on Saturday.

Kyrgios has won 14 of his last 15 matches to improve to 29-7 for 2022. Medvedev lost for the 11th time in 2022, but by reaching the final at Los Cabos — where he lifted his first trophy of the season — he is assured of taking the number one ranking into his US Open title defense later this month.

He was barred from Wimbledon as the tournament excluded Russian and Belarussian players over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Alcaraz, who like Medvedev enjoyed a first-round bye, fared no better in his opening match, with the teenager admitting pressure got to him.

Alcaraz came into the event with two prestige Masters 1000 titles from Miami and Madrid and holding a 42-7 record this season.

“It was the first time that I couldn’t handle the pressure,” Alcaraz said. “I felt the pressure (of being) the number two seed and number four in the world.

“It was the first time that I felt this pressure.”

The youngster added: “I had chances, I was a break up in the second set, had chances to win the match.

“He played really good in the tough moments. He played great, and I couldn’t show my best.”

The 34th-ranked Paul claimed victory on a volley winner after holding off the Spaniard’s charge from 5-2 down in the third set.

“It was nice to finish this match at the net,” said Paul, who fired 36 winners to Alcaraz’s 33. “I did a lot of things well today. “I played a good level of tennis, comfortable tennis.”

Tsitsipas completed the hat-trick of losses for the tournament elite.

Draper, 20, earned his first career win over a top-10 opponent as he reached the third round in just over two hours with five breaks of the Tsitsipas serve.

Fourth seed Casper Ruud made it safely through, backing up his defeat earlier this season of Alex Molcan with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 victory over the Slovakian.

The Norwegian with three trophies so far in 2022 had to work to win the opening set after dropping serve as he tried to close it out leading 5-4.

However, he sealed his third-round place in straight sets for his 36th win of the season.

Elsewhere, Italian Jannik Sinner needed three sets to get past Adrian Mannarino 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 while Alex de Minaur lined up an all-Aussie Thursday match against Kyrgios by defeating Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (7/4), 7-5.

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Medvedev retains top spot as Washington winner Kyrgios climbs to 37

LONDON: Daniil Medvedev, who won his first tournament of the year at the weekend, retained his position at the top of the ATP rankings published on Monday while Nick Kyrgios climbed to his highest rank in two and half years.

Medvedev, who is over 1,000 points clear of the injured Alexander Zverev, won his first title since claiming the US Open almost a year ago when he roared past defending champion Cameron Norrie in the final of the hardcourt tournament in Los Cabos, Mexico.

Medvedev snapped a five-match losing streak in finals — a stretch that included his agonising five-set loss to Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final in February.

He also came up short this year in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Halle. He did not get a chance at Wimbledon, where Russian and Belarussian players were banned because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In spite of losing his title, Norrie still moved up a place to 11 with the Pole Hubert Hurkacz nudging up to 10.

The man on the slide, down two places, is Jannik Sinner, who chose to skip the event in Washington, losing the points he gained last year when he won it.

Sinner’s absence left the door open for Australian Nick Kyrgios who followed his journey to the Wimbledon final with his first title in three years.

The Australian climbs 26 places to 37th, his best ranking since February 2020.

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Nick Kyrgios withdraws from Atlanta tournament

CANBERRA: Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of the singles draw at the ATP event in Atlanta due to a knee injury.

The Australian was scheduled to face German Peter Gojowczyk on Tuesday but withdrew from the tournament following an earlier doubles win alongside compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis.

“I’m shattered that I’m not able to compete tonight,” Kyrgios told the crowd.

The hard-court event was due to be Kyrgios’ first tournament since his run to the Wimbledon final earlier this month when he lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets.

“I’ve won this tournament once and I’m probably playing some of the best tennis in my career and all I wanted to do was come out here and give you guys a show,” Kyrgios added.

“I’m going to keep my hopes up and maybe be able to continue doubles with Thanasi this week.”

Kyrgios, ranked 47th in the world after Wimbledon was stripped of its ranking points for banning Russian and Belarusian players, could return to Cincinnati after receiving a wildcard for the Masters tournament which starts on August 13.

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Nadal ruled out of semi-final with injury, Kyrgios reaches Wimbledon final

LONDON: The Spaniard Rafael Nadal announced on Thursday to withdraw from Wimbledon after failing to recover from his abdominal injury.

Nadal, who battled out the injury in the enduring quarterfinal against Taylor Fritz on Wednesday, has announced his withdrawal from the tournament in a press conference.

“I have to pull out of the tournament. As everybody saw yesterday I have been suffering with the pain in the abdominal area. I have a tear in the muscle,” he said

Spaniard’s semifinal opponent Nick Kyrgios, as a result, has received a walk over to the final where he will face either the defending champion Novak Djokovic or Britain’s Cameron Norrie.

Nadal was seen struggling with the injury during the hard-fought quarterfinal victory over Fritz, which lasted four hours and 21 minutes. The Spaniard also took medical time in the second set and returned to the court and recovered twice from a set down to claim a hard-earned victory.

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Kyrgios outclasses Garin, qualifies for his first Wimbledon semi-final

LONDON: The unseeded Australian Tennis player Nick Kyrgios carried on his astounding Wimbledon run as he thumped Cristian Garin in a straight-set victory 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 to qualify for the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time.

The Australian after dropping his serve in the opening game roared back and went on to display a contrasting performance for the rest of the match to seal a comprehensive victory over Garin.

Kyrgios utilized his service skills to the fullest as he claimed a straightforward second set to move within one from the victory.

Fuelled with momentum, the Australian soon pulled ahead in the third set with a dominant early lead of 6-3 to leave himself on the verge of semi-final qualification. Garin, however, did not give up and sealed the next three games to force the match into the tiebreaker.

The Chilean then could not continue his astounding comeback and failed to claim the tiebreaker, allowing Kyrgios to run away with the victory and earned his semi-final spot for the first time.

The Australian will now face the winner of Rafael Nadal and Taylor Fritz’s quarter-final.

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