Nick Kyrgios has been praised for producing one of the finest performances of his career after knocking out top seed Novak Djokovic 7-6(9), 7-5, at the Mexican Open.
The world No.17 constantly placed Djokovic under pressure throughout the match as he produced an impressive 25 aces and 41 winners compared to his opponents tally of two and 23. Refusing to allow the top seed to generate any momentum, it was a tiebreaker that decided the opening set as Djokovic succumbed to his opponents resilience. Closing out the set, Kyrgios was forced to save two set points with the help of his lightning serve before clinching the tiebreaker 11-9 after a Djokovic forehand drifted out.
A case of deja Vu occurred in the following set as Kyrgios remained superior on his serve, winning 80% of points, and Djokovic was tasked with trying to keep within contention. Eventually the world No.2 buckled under pressure. Serving to stay in the match, the Serbian faltered after three consecutive unforced errors elevated Kyrgios to a 40-0 advantage, rewarding him a trio of match points. The 21-year-old then completed his fine performance with a scorching forehand winner down the line.
“It’s a big win,” said Kyrgios. “I was a little bit nervous because I’m sure the crowd was rooting for Novak. He’s one of the greatest players of all time, but I’m playing with confidence. My serve is the best part of my game, and I had one of my best serving matches tonight.”
Kyrgios’ win is his first top-10 scalp of 2017 and the 11th of his career. He is only the second player in history to defeat Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic in their first tour-level meetings after Lleyton Hewitt.
Awaiting the Australian in the semifinals will be Sam Querrey. The American enjoyed a comprehensive 6-1, 7-5, win over defending champion Dominic Thiem, ending his seven-match winning streak on the tour. Querrey, who was down 3-5 in the second set, impressively won 89% of his first service points (25/28) and hit 24 winners.
Nadal continues his winning run
Rafael Nadal overcame a stern test against Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka to win 7-6(2), 6-3. The world No.6 was forced to fight back from a break down in both sets to seal the match after almost two hours of play.
“Every game here is special. I did not play my best tennis, but that’s why it has a merit,” said Nadal, who hits 31 unforced errors in his quarter-final match.
“I played great the previous rounds and today I was able to get over a tough situation. I’m happy to be in the semifinals. That’s great news.”
Thursday’s win in Acapulco is Nadal’s 13th consecutive. A two-time champion of the tournament, the Spaniard has extended his winning record to 26-0 in sets played in Mexico.
Nadal’s next task will be third seed Marin Cilic, who has reached his first semifinal since October. The former US Open champion moved into the last four after Steve Johnson withdrew due to injury.
“He’s one of the toughest rivals in the world, he has a great serve and is very aggressive,” Nadal said about playing Cilic. “I will have to play so much better than today if I want to have a shot. It’s a big match. I hope to be prepared for it.”
Nadal leads Cilic 3-1 in their head-to-head on the ATP Tour.
