Nadal subdues fired-up Kyrgios
NEXT: RAFA LINES UP QUARTERS CLASH WITH THIEM
Rafa Nadal lost his first set of the tournament but rode out a spirited challenge from wholly committed Nick Kyrgios to move into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the 12th time with a 6-3 3-6 7-6 (6) 7-6(4) victory yesterday.
Kyrgios was a match for the 19-times Grand Slam champion in the second and for most of the third set but the muscle-bound Spaniard always looked like the most likely winner once he got his nose back in front.
The Australian broke back when Nadal was serving for the match in the fourth set, however, reigniting the contest and bringing the partisan Rod Laver Arena crowd back into the equation.
The world No 1 just gritted his teeth and came through again in the tiebreak and moved through to a last-eight meeting with Austrian Dominic Thiem when Kyrgios netted a forehand after three hours and 38 minutes.
“It was a very tough match, it seemed like I had control at the start but against Nick you are never in control,” said Nadal, who hit 64 winners to Kyrgios’s 50.
Kyrgios showed once again that he has all the skills to be a Grand Slam champion and will console himself at having shown considerably more of the mental fortitude he will need to win major prizes at his home Open this year.
“When he is playing like today with this positive attitude, he gives a lot of positive things to our sport,” said Nadal, who has not always seen eye-to-eye with Kyrgios.
“He is one of the best talents we have. I like the Nick Kyrgios of this tournament.”
The match was preceded by a ceremony honouring the 50th anniversary of the Grand Slam achieved by Margaret Court, a divisive figure because of her opposition to same-sex marriage.
Kyrgios, sporting a LA Lakers shirt in the warm-up to honour Kobe Bryant, has proved divisive himself due to his on-court antics but earned praise for kickstarting tennis’ bushfire relief appeal. –