Kyrgios is known to jet ski and play FIFA late into the night during tournaments. Can sense this match will either be an absolute 5 set epic.. or a complete let down with Kyrgious giving up. They could hardly be more different, something Kyrgios underlined after he lost despite producing a 58-44 advantage in winners, including 29 aces — one a second serve at a tournament-high 143 mph and a pair that he hit with an underarm motion. The between-the-leg shots, the unnecessary leaping backhands and all the rest. The players will meet Thursday in the most hotly anticipated second-round match at Wimbledon, with the already high-octane pairing boosted by a few heated exchanges via the media in the past few months. Day four preview: Murray set for return on bumper day. podcast interview published a few weeks later, Kyrgios also had this to say about the two-time Wimbledon winner: "He's my polar opposite. In terms of wins, the world number one has won 116 matches. By David Polkinghorne Updated July 2, 2014 — 5.23am first published July 1, 2014 — 11.45pm This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. The Spaniard is 18 wins and five losses against the Green and Gold. "When you're a kid, you want to play the best players in the world on the best court in the world.". The relatively soft nature of the surface calls for the most powerful of push-offs -- especially during directional changes. Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova (L) and US player Madison Keys (R) switch sides during their women's singles third round match on day six of 2014 Wimbledon I am not a guy gonna be in a fight with nobody. Analysis and opinion from the BBC's tennis correspondent. Everything was rendered secondary to Nadal vs. Kyrgios. Why would I apologize? Nick Kyrgios beats Rafael Nadal 7-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-3 A backhand into the right corner and Nadal can only swat a racquet at it. Doesn't a rivalry have to exist when two players are close to being equals....18 GS for Nadal. He probably thinks the Dog & Fox is an animal hospital. When he eventually did seal the victory, Nadal wagged a finger and shouted and fist-pumped some more. "He could win Grand Slams and fight the top positions of the ranking, but there is a reason why he is where he is [then at a world ranking of 72].". The match resumed, in the late hours of Saturday Night, as Kyrgios worked his way back into things. Nick Kyrgios 7 5 7 6 Rafael Nadal 6 7 6 3. Nadal, however, was a little less than pleased with the All England Club's seeding policy, which takes into account player's performances on grass, rather than following the world rankings. Nick Kyrgios gets agitated after a reporter asks him about his apparent feud with second-round opponent Rafael Nadal and Nadal's uncle. Republication or distribution of this content is Nadal knows that having to play Kyrgios in Round 2 is yet another twist in what has become his convoluted career plot at Wimbledon. In the four Wimbledon tournaments between 2012 and 2015, Nadal lost to a player ranked No. Rarely does Kyrgios offer regrets, for much of anything. WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND—Rafael Nadal was up near the Centre Court net when Nick Kyrgios smacked a booming forehand directly at the guy’s midsection — right at him, on purpose — and earned a lengthy staredown in return. It's not even sunny.". "I'm a physical specimen, so don't worry about it," he added with a smile. ", Asked whether he found it easier to talk to other players on tour, he added: "Yeah, 100%. I’m a great tennis player, but I don’t do the other stuff. But, no, at the moment I don’t think I can contend for a Grand Slam.”. Nick Kyrgios has defeated Rafael Nadal in four sets to move through to the quarter finals at Wimbledon. All Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. His composure during each match point was of a player beyond his years. During the match, Kyrgios earned a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct after calling Dumusois a “disgrace.” At his news conference, Kyrgios’ insults of choice were “horrendous” and “terrible.”. "Like your hat looks ridiculous, also. Get the latest tennis headlines sent straight to your phone, sign-up to our newsletter and learn where to find us on online. "He is a player who has enormous talent," said Nadal after what appeared to be a frosty handshake at the net. The 33-year-old Nadal, meanwhile, observed that he was “too old for all this stuff.”. The world number one lost over four sets Nadal pure class, a legend in the sport and a great man. But I think Nadal will still be too strong and powerful for Kyrgios in this match. Nadal also has a great record against Australians. Part of that is because a 19-year-old Kyrgios beat then-No. The World No. Kyrgios is an embarrassment. Kyrgios a vulgar embarrassment to the sport and his country. The first is his serve and the second is the baseline rallies. Kyrgios is further developed than his fellow Australian and I expect him to provide a better contest than the South Australian. So I'm not going to listen at all. “With his talent and with his serve, he can win a Grand Slam, of course.”, And Kyrgios’ self-assessment? Kyrgios, the 24-year-old Aussie who made his Grand Slam bones the first time he played at Wimbledon (he was ranked No. In a very impressive performance, Kyrgios started and finished the match with an ace, two of the 37 he had for the match. He took a medical timeout to work his left hamstring and stalked around as if every bone in his body hurt and hot coals rather than cool turf were under his feet. Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? 0 for Kyrgios. Seven-time champion Serena Williams needed a comeback to win in three sets against Kaja Juvan, an 18-year-old qualifier. “At times today, I was looking around: This is Wimbledon, playing Rafa. In Australia, at the Open, he faced both Bernard Tomic and Thanasi Kokkinakis on his way to the final. Become a member to join in Australia's biggest sporting debate, submit articles, receive updates straight to your inbox and keep up with your favourite teams and authors. Ironically, the matchup probably wouldn't have happened if not for the fact that Roger Federer was elevated to the No. Wasn’t funny then, isn’t funny now. Join The Roar for live scores, commentary, from around 10:00pm (AEST). 30-0. ", In tennis, in which players tend to tiptoe around one another, that amounted to serious trash talk. "I know if I play the right type of tennis, I can have success against him," Kyrgios said. Find out where to watch the match live in the UK. For #80 (livingdead) "not yobbish" - mmm, surprising, you're usually spot-on with Tennis stuff. Nadal is a true ambassador of the game - proven many times over. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. Kyrgios needs to play well in two areas to provide trouble to Nadal. Nadal is far better on hard and clay courts than on the grass. He said, among other things: "[Kyrgios] lacks education and smartness. "I don't know him very well. "For some years, my injuries didn't give me a chance to compete the way I would like," he said. There's no guarantee I'm going to be here again in this position. Nadal's enjoyment of the sport precludes going out to pubs during tournaments. While Kokkinakis will be great, he is twelve months away from doing what Kyrgios is doing right now. Not that I condone some of his antics. 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Williams’ partner for mixed doubles, two-time Wimbledon singles winner Andy Murray, won his first-round match in men’s doubles as he returned to the tournament for the first time in two years following two hip operations. That best shot is likely to contain any number of surprises from Kyrgios, from underarm serves to diving volleys (called for or not) to tweeners to various other shots more often deployed by those old-timers on public parks who are sneeringly referred to as "hackers" or "pushers." Kyrgios is capable of being as entertaining and befuddling a player as there is and showed why throughout this 3-hour-plus contest that overshadowed everything else going on around the grass-court Grand Slam tournament on Day 4. Asked in his post-match news conference on Tuesday, whether he had a "good relationship" with Nadal, Kyrgios said: "Uhm, not sure that me and Rafa could go down to the Dog & Fox. It's why Kyrgios loves playing Federer, they just get on with the game when serving without the annoying rituals. Nadal has beaten nine of them. We have a mutual respect and that's about it I think.". featured alongside some of Australia’s most prominent sports journalists. None of that really mattered, in the end. Wimbledon 2014: Rafael Nadal v Nick Kyrgios match preview. The second area he needs to focus on is the baseline rallies. @59 - Kyrgios was right to criticise Nadal's time wasting rituals. I can smell the blood when I play this dude", he wrote. 1 Rafael Nadal in 2014.. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto He needs to hit winners and dictate the play as best as he can.