By Kingsley Elliot Kaye
Kyrgios didn’t play his most spectacular tennis to reach third round of the US Open for the fifth time in his career, but played a consistent match his way, pacing through his service games, not always focused on returns, flashing his talent now and then, and moving up a notch in key stages. Every time Bonzi got close to threatening, or took over the stage with a winner, Kyrgios never lost his bearings and responded immediately.
In turn Bonzi succeeded in counterpunching the Aussie’s power and rallied at the same lightening speed, often prevailing. But for a shaky start he served effectively, constantly pressuring and eager to move forward. Most of all he was quick to seize his chances when he was returning. Not many players can boast breaking Kyrgios twice. Only his forehand let him down a little too often.
“His level was really, really good. I was really, like, fortunate to get through in four set. I felt like he was reading my serve, he was hitting so many returns. It was one of those matches where you kind of survive,” Kyrgios said after his tight four set victory 76 64 46 64.
Bonzi kicked off with an ace but three unforced errors followed and gave break point to Kyrgios who timely converted it with his flagship backhand down the line.
Yet it wasn’t just plain sailing for Kyrgios. In the fourth game, after a double fault, he was spurred to overhurry and gifted three break points. He saved two but then Bonzi charged the net and put away the volley to break back.
From then on the first set flew away at lightening speed. Kyrgios rushed through his service games and rallies were like in a videogame at the ultimate level. Bonzi held his serve with less panache but solidly.
The set could not but be decided by a tiebreak.
Bonzi got a minibreak to lead 3-1. Kyrgios immediately ripped it back with a bullying passing shot, then shifted to a higher gear: an unretrievable kick second serve, a forehand passing shot down the line in Sampras style, a winning backhand return down the line, a deep forehand return followed by a foray into the net, a winning first serve to close it out 7-3. The whole set had lasted just 49 minutes.
The storyline didn’t change in the second set until the tenth game. Bonzi appeared to be comfortably on the way to hold serve, when at 40-15 he stumbled over his first double fault of the match. Three unforced errors, the last off his forehand, gave Kyrgios the break and the set, 64.
Bonzi did not lose heart and went on with his game plan in the third set. Such determination was rewarded in the ninth game when he returned a 134 mph first serve and rallied till he elicited an unforced error from Kyrgios. On break point the Australian followed his second serve to the net but butchered the volley. He spat in disgust toward his box. But Bonzi had the break and soon after clasped the set with Kyrgios hitting a home run return into the stands.
Bonzi was close to turning the whole match around, when he broke Kyrgios again in the third game of the fourth set annihilating him with an inside out backhand passing shot.
A year ago Kyrgios would have likely thrown away such a match, enraptured by fury. Instead today his reaction was vibrant. On Bonzi’s serve he climbed 0-30 with huge forehands, then Bonzi missed a volley and conceded two break points. He saved the first with a serve but then wasn’t able to tame a vicious sliced return and Kyrgios bounced back! Now he was really on fire, hitting one ace after another. But once more Bonzi still held on. In the ninth game he placed a millimetric lob, then a smashing backhand down the line to earn three more break points. Now it really was a gripping contest.
Kyrgios saved the first with a dropshot, the second with a flipped crosscourt forehand, and the third with his 30th ace. He barged on with a winning first serve winner, then a dropshot that Bonzi wasn’t able to shovel back over the net.
“I just tried to play the most unpredictable, low-percentage tennis,” Kyrgios explained. “I know if I play any other way, I’m probably going to get broken. Why wouldn’t I just try? It got me out of jail, that was a massive momentum switch.”
After such a hold, the flow was unstoppable. Kyrgios soared to match point in the next game and sealed victory taking pace off the rally, then firing his favourite backhand down the line.
“I know that I’m capable of going to a slam final now and I really want to achieve. This year’s been amazing in so many different ways. For my tennis, I kind of wanted to almost reinvent myself, get back to the top of the game where I know I belong.”
He looks forward to taking on J.J. Wolf in the third round. “He’s got a massive game. I love the way he plays tennis. Serves big and plays big. I’m excited. A young gun. I love playing these young guys. I never thought I’d say that. I’ve been on tour now for 10 years and I’m calling people young.”
Nice words from a wise guy, that’s Kyrgios.