Nick Kyrgios Sets Up A Clash With Fernando Verdasco In Atlanta - UBITENNIS
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Nick Kyrgios Sets Up A Clash With Fernando Verdasco In Atlanta

By Adam Addicott
3 Min Read
Nick Kyrgios in action during the 2016 BB&T Open in Atlanta. (image viz zimbio.com/Kevin C. Cox)

Second seed Nick Kyrgios required just 79 minutes to defeat American wildcard Jared Donaldson 7-6(4), 6-3, in the second round of the BB&T Open.

Kyrgios, who received a bye in the first round of the tournament, dropped just 14 points on his serve throughout the encounter against the rising star. Last week Donaldson reached the third round of the Rogers Cup as a qualifier. The match wasn’t entirely straightforward for the Australian as his 19-year-old opponent pushed him to his limits throughout the opening set before Kyrgios dominated the second by breaking Donaldson’s serve three times.

“I knew that Jared had a good week last week, so he was confident. I haven’t played too much tennis recently, so I’m happy to be through. The conditions really suited my game,” Kyrgios told atpworldtour.com.
“I like the set-up here, with the hotel so close to the courts. It’s a great environment.”

Progressing to his first quarter-final on the tour since the Madrid Open in May, Kyrgios will play Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco. The world No.48 eased into the last eight after crushing France’s Julien Benneteau 6-1, 6-3, winning 84% of his first service points.

The upcoming encounter will be the second meeting between the two men. Their first match was at the 2015 Canadian Open when Kyrgios battled past the Spaniard in three sets.

Earlier on in the tournament, Japan’s Yopshitito Nishioka stunned fourth seed Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 2-6, 6-1. During the roller coaster match between the two players, the world No.97 was able to take advantage of Dolgopolov’s problematic serve, which consisted of 11 double faults. Nishioka will now play in only the second quarter-final on the ATP Tour in his career.

Nishioka’s next opponent will be Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos, a player who he defeated earlier this year at the Miami Open. The 31-year-old was in impressive form as he dismissed Germany’s Tobias Kamke 6-4, 6-1, without facing a single break point. It is the first time that Zeballos has reached the last eight of an ATP hardcourt tournament since the 2010 Moscow Open.

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