AO2015: Kyrgios comes back from two sets behind to beat Seppi - UBITENNIS

AO2015: Kyrgios comes back from two sets behind to beat Seppi

By Staff
9 Min Read

TENNIS AO2015 – Australian teenager Nick Kyrgios came back from two sets down before saving a match point to push a thrilling match to the fifth set against Italian Andreas Seppi to claim a dramatic 5-7 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 8-6 win in the decider to the delight of the Aussie fanatics who supported the home player in the Hisense Arena in Melbourne. Kyrgios set up an exciting quarter final match against Andy Murray who beat Grigor Dimitrov 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 7-5 in a epic fourth-round match. Diego Sampaolo

AO2015: Interviews, Results, Order of Play, Draws

The young Aussie star fought back from 0-2 down to become the first home player to reach the quarter finals since 2005 when Lleyton Hewitt lost the final against Marat Safin in the final. Australia could celebrate his new national hero one day before the Australia Day on Monday.

Kyrgios saved two break point chances at 4-3 in the first set. Seppi, who beat Roger Federer in four sets in the third round, did not face any break point chances in the first set and converted on his break point in the 11th game to take the 6-5 lead before holding his serve in the next game to wrap up the first set with 7-5. Kyrgios expressed his frustration by breaking his racquet earning a warning from the umpire.

Seppi fended off three break point chances in the second set as Kyrgios was leading 2-1. Seppi earned a break point in the fourth game but Kyrgios saved it with his serve. Seppi went up 40-0 on Kyrgios’ serve and got the break for 5-4 before converting on his set point.

Seppi saved all the six break point opportunities to pull away to a two-set lead with 7-5 6-4 but Kyrgios bounced back converting his seventh break point chance to claw his way back into the match.

There were no break points in the fourth set until 6-5 for Seppi when the Italian drew level from 15-40 to 40-all. Kyrgios fended off a match point when he was 5-6 down on his serve before taking the win in the fourth-set tie-break to push the match to the fifth set.

The home star pulled away to 4-1 in the fifth set but he squandered this lead when Seppi reeled off three consecutive games to draw level to 4-4. Kyrgios fended off a crucial break point in the ninth game to take the 5-4 lead. Kyrgios got the decisive break in the 14th game to close out the match with 8-6 as Seppi sent his backhand wide. Kyrgios beat Seppi for the second time in his career after claiming a three-set win at the US Open last year.

Kyrgios fought back from two sets down for the second time in his young career six months after recovering from two sets down in the Wimbledon second round against Richard Gasquet in a match where he saved nine match points. At the All-England Club the player of Greek and Malesian origin famously beat Rafa Nadal in the fourth round.

I was not disappointed at all to be two sets to love down. I knew that it was going to be a tough battle. He is playing some of the best tennis he has played ever since coming off that win against Roger. I knew it was going to be tough from the get-go. I just had to draw on my experience of coming back from two sets to love. It paid off in the end”.

It’s crazy. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. When I saw I had finally won the match it was incredible. It was the best feeling I ever had. To know the body could come back from two sets to love, knowing I haven’t had matches, it’s just massive confidence”

Kyrgios said that he learned from losing a five-set match after being two sets up. “I am just managing my emotions a bit better out there. I thought I was pretty composed for the whole match. When I needed to get into the crowd, I did that. They were unbelievable tonight. I think they were a massive part of that win. I am just learning every time I step out on the court when to show emotion and when not to”

The back is a bit sore. Physically I thought my legs pulled up well throughout the whole match. I got a bit tired halfway through the fifth set. Being in that atmosphere is pretty thing, but I knew he would be feeling the same way. He has never reached a quarter final before. All those thoughts going through his head. I think I had to draw on that. I just stuck in there. I think the turning point was definitely the break in the third set. That just established that I wasn’t going to go away. I was just going to compete till the very end. When I got to the third set, I started playing really well in the third set. I knew if I could just hang on some way and take it to a fifth set, it’s anyone’s match. I think that was the turning point then. I could not imagine that I would be in the quarter finals. It feels a bit better compared to Wimbledon. There was a lot of expectation coming into this tournament. I was obviously out for a couple of weeks before Sydney. I wasn’t expecting anything, especially the quarter finals. It’s just massive to do it in front of your home crowd. Hisense is an unbelievable crowd. I had never played on it before.It’s my favourite court now. The court is actually quite small. I really enjoyed that. It’s actually a small court, and then it just extends wide with the crowd. It was really cool. Even when I got out there with the warm-up, I thought it was a really good court. In the fifth set the loud was getting unbelievably loud.. It was like Margaret Court Arena last year. It was an unbelievable atmosphere in there”.

With this win Kyrgios has become the 14th male teenager to advance to the quarter finals in a Grand Slam and the first male teenager since Roger Federer to reach two Grand Slam quarter finals.

I knew that Seppi had a lot of confidence after beating Roger. Drawing all my experience from Wimbledon, coming back from two sets down, I knew that I had the legs to do that”, said Kyrgios

Missing the match point after the fourth set affected the beginning of the fifth set. “I was little bit down. The energy after the fourth set was a little bit down. I think in the middle of the fifth we played again some good tennis. He served well in important moments. That was the key. That’s why he won, I think. I think I just played a couple of bad games at the beginning of the third set. I missed three easy forehands for the break for him. Maybe he played a little bit more relaxed after that. Maybe I could have stayed even in the third set, it would have changed a little bit.”

Leave a comment