
Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios set up a Quarter-Final match between the pair later this evening after they won their third round encounters. Nadal beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-6(1) 6-2, while Kyrgios edged out Ivo Karlovic 4-6 7-6(6) 6-3.
The first set between the two Spaniards was a tight one as neither of them managed to dominate the match in the early stages. The top seed displayed some fine top spin and defence when under pressure however Ramos-Vinolas managed to lengthen out the rallies and gain some openings. It was clear Nadal wasn’t at his pure best as he was frustrated by his opponent’s good serving and good angles on Center Court. As a result the first set went to a tiebreak as the Spaniards could not be separated. With luck and mainly fast reactions Nadal managed to step into another gear and grab the tiebreak 7-1.
The second set saw a different Rafael Nadal as he used his backhand to great effect and started to use his experience to great advantage. At 2-2, the 15 time grand slam champion waited for the errors to arise from his opponents racket. The soon to be World number one stepped up his serving ability as he won the next four games to seal the match in 1 hour and 38 minutes. Nadal only lost 10 points on his first serve as he reached the Quarter-Finals in Cincinnati.
Nadal will now play Nick Kyrgios in a blockbuster Quarter-Final later on as he beat tall Croatian Ivo Karlovic 4-6 7-6(6) 6-3 in just under two hours. The Australian was back to his brilliant best as he outsmarted the Karlovic in the second set to take a tight tiebreak. As his confidence built he started to participate with the crowd and broke comfortably in the fourth game of the final set. Kyrgios wrapped up the match to seal his place in the last eight. Here are Kyrgios’ finest moments in the contest:
Nick Kyrgios (🎥@TennisTV ) pic.twitter.com/uAILBqVvss
— doublefault28 (@doublefault28) August 18, 2017
Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios will meet at 9pm local time in the Quarter-Finals of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.