The calm after the storm
Days after tempestuous win, subdued Kyrgios takes 5-setter
WIMBLEDON, England — Nick Kyrgios stepped into a nearly full Centre Court to polite applause at precisely 1:30 p.m. on Monday, exited about 3 ½ hours later to a louder ovation and, somehow, the 100-year-old stadium survived the experience.
In the warmup period, Kyrgios flicked a ball between his legs and closed with an underarm serve, hardly standard procedure. During the 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-2 victory at Wimbledon over unseeded American Brandon Nakashima that followed, putting Kyrgios in a Grand Slam quarterfinal for the first time in 7 ½ years, he tried those sorts of trick shots a few times. Afterward, he ditched his rule-conforming but backward, brim-bent white cap and white shoes in favor of red versions.
“Because,” he said when pressed about the sartorial choices, “I do what I want.”
Yet, somehow, those seated in the Royal Box never turned their backs in protest. And, somehow, the grass-court tournament that dates to the 1880s didn’t grind to a halt.
Maybe that’s simply because, in addition to smacking 35 aces and “ripping the ball from the baseline” — to use Nakashima’s words — despite a shoulder that hurt so much he took painkilling pills and received repeated treatment from a trainer, Kyrgios displayed a much quieter, much calmer demeanor than the guy who earned fines of $10,000 for spitting in the direction of a heckling spectator at the end of his first-round match and $4,000 for an audible obscenity during his tempestuous win against No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round.
“I was able to just say, ‘Wow, look how far I’ve come,’ to myself. I was bouncing the ball before I served; I really just smiled to myself,” said Kyrgios, owner of a tour-high 11 victories on grass this season. “I was like, ‘We’re here, we’re competing at Wimbledon, putting in a good performance mentally.’
“It was rewarding.”
The unseeded Kyrgios, now 6-0 in five-setters at the All England Club, next faces unseeded Cristian Garin, a 26-year-old from Chile who saved a pair of match points and authored the fortnight’s first comeback from two sets down to defeat No. 19 seed Alex de Minaur 2-6, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 7-6 (10-6) after more than 4 ½ hours.
The other quarterfinal on their half of the draw will be 22-time Slam champion Rafael Nadal against No. 11 Taylor Fritz. Nadal got past No. 21 seed Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (6), while Fritz, a 24-year-old American, earned his major quarterfinal debut with a 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 victory over qualifier Jason Kubler.
“Doesn’t even seem real,” said Fritz, who hasn’t dropped a set in the tournament.
Kubler, who also is Australian, offered his take on Kyrgios.
“Every time I see him, he’s smiling. Every time I’m around him, it seems like I’m laughing,” Kubler said. “So it’s kind of weird when I read or see the comments about him, knowing him the way I do. He’s just one of those people if you were to hang around him or spend any sort of quality time with him, you’d fall in love with him.”
The women’s quarterfinals established Monday are 2019 champion Simona Halep vs. No. 20 Amanda Anisimova, and No. 17 Elena Rybakina vs. unseeded Ajla Tomljanovic.
The combined nine seeds who will participate in the women’s or men’s quarterfinals is the lowest total at Wimbledon since 2000.
“I didn’t really think I could do it,” said Tomljanovic, who lost to eventual champion Ash Barty in last year’s quarterfinals. “After some tough moments this year, I thought:
“Am I ever going to get a chance again? I can’t believe a year later, I’m in the same position.”
At a glance LOOKAHEAD TO TUESDAY:
The quarterfinal schedule is looking a bit different this year with two men’s matches and two women’s matches being played Tuesday. Wimbledon has traditionally scheduled all women’s quarterfinals on Tuesday and all men’s on Wednesday, but the
All England Club is mixing things up after getting rid of the rest day on the middle Sunday. That means defending champion Novak Djokovic will be first up on Centre Court to take on 10th-seeded Jannik Sinner before No. 3 Ons Jabeur faces Marie Bouzkova. On No. 1 Court, 34-year-old Tatjana Maria takes on 22-year-old Jule Niemeier in a matchup between two Germans playing their first Slam quarterfinal. Ninth-seeded Cam Norrie then faces David Goffin as he tries to become the first British man since Andy Murray in 2016 to reach the semifinals.
MONDAY’S RESULTS Women’s fourth round: No. 16
Simona
Halep beat No. 4 Paula Badosa 6-1, 6-2;
No. 17 Elena Rybakina beat Petra Martic 7-5, 6-3; No. 20 Amanda Anisimova beat Harmony Tan 6-2, 6-3; Ajla Tomljanovic beat Alize Cornet 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Men’s fourth round: No. 2 Rafael Nadal beat No. 21 Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (6); No. 11 Taylor Fritz beat Jason Kubler 6-3, 6-1, 6-4; Cristian Garin beat No. 19 Alex de Minaur 2-6, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 7-6 (6);
Nick Kyrgios beat Brandon Nakashima 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-2.