But who will stop Nick Kyrgios? At the end of a very high-flying match (in every sense of the word), at first unbreathable then which turned into a one-man-show at the end, the Australian won the shock of the round of 16 against Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (11), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in 2h53, on the night of Sunday to Monday, on the Arthur-Ashe stadium. Here he is for the first time in his career in the quarter-finals of the US Open, a stage at which he will find another Russian, Karen Khachanov, winner for his part in five sets of Pablo Carreno Busta.
The duel between the defending champion and the finalist of the last Wimbledon kept all its promises, particularly during an epic, magnificent 1st set which certainly weighed heavily in the outcome of the match. Kyrgios, who had however immediately made a successful break at 3-2, ended up winning it after an unbreathable tie-break in which he saved three set points, at 6-5, 6-7, and 8 -7.
US Open
Medvedev – Kyrgios, a shock worthy of a final
A DAY AGO
These set points, it was not Medvedev who lost them. But indeed Kyrgios who saved them, respectively with a winning service, a winning backhand return and a backhand volley which bit the line for a few millimeters. We can never say it enough: what is tennis all about…
With a little success therefore, but above all a lot of talent and panache, the Australian finally went for this capital tie-break (13 points to 11) after having himself conceded three first set points, before making the difference thanks to a monumental backhand drop followed by a forehand “chip & charge” which pushed Medvedev to exit his passing.
We had been playing for almost an hour then, at a rather fascinating intensity, and if we say that this 1st set was crucial, it is because Nick, behind, suffered a real bamboo blow, both physical and mind. It cost him a set, the 2nd, and it was better for him that he was ahead at that time of the game. Because Medvedev, for his part, seemed to have time for him.
But after having, so to speak, “rested” during this 2nd set, Nick Kyrgios gave the gas for the 3rd round entry. And there, he began to (re)do very badly by going for – again at the net – an important break from the fourth game (1-3). A break that put Medvedev on the ropes, which quietly led 40-0 in this game before experiencing, perhaps, a somewhat guilty release.
47 goals for Kyrgios!
From there, the match had definitely chosen its side. Helped by a service that became more and more “maousse” over the games, in tune with his confidence, Kyrgios began to unfold an offensive tennis to the extreme (47 climbs in total!), in line with the great Australian volleyball servers of the past. But it is with a cushioning that he concludes this 3rd set, another weapon that we see him use quite often to derail the beautiful Russian mechanics, now a little lost on the ground.
Bis repeated in the 4th set with a break in the pocket from the third game, an ace on the T to save a break point in stride, and an end of the game in freewheel with a double break to lead 4-1 thanks to a forehand acceleration to dehorn a buffalo. Do not throw any more: this Kyrgios there was unplayable, and he would remain so until the end to complete his second Grand Slam victory against a world No. 1, after a success against Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2014, at 19 years old.
All achieved without “Kyrgioserie” or so very little, if we except a warning received for obscenity, a missed “tweener” serve and above all this strange point lost by wanting to volley, in the camp of Medvedev, a ball which went wide, missing the opportunity to afford a break point. Without consequence, therefore.
This Man Is Crazy: How Kyrgios lost a point…that he won
No, overall, this Nick Kyrgios was quite monumental, and here he is now looking like a favorite when it comes to meeting Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals. As for Daniil Medvedev, he will not only have lost a second time in a row against the Australian (after Montreal in early August), but above all his title and, it is now official, his place as world No. 1. There are nights like this…
US Open
Far from home, Kyrgios has the blues: “I try not to think about it too much, but it makes me sad”
A DAY AGO
US Open
No friendship but “a lot of respect”: Medvedev-Kyrgios, “it’s going to be a fun battle”
YESTERDAY AT 09:49