Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios will meet in a blockbuster showdown on Thursday within the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open, their first conflict in additional than two years.
Nadal at present leads their ATP Head2Head 5-3, however will Kyrgios spring the upset to slender the deficit of their rivalry? ATPTour.com seems again on the pair’s earlier conferences.
2020 Australian Open R16, onerous, Nadal d. Kyrgios 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(4)
It’s clear that Kyrgios brings his finest to problem the likes of Nadal on tennis’ greatest levels. So when the pair walked onto Rod Laver Enviornment to compete in entrance of the Aussie’s house crowd, there was little doubt Kyrgios would carry the struggle to the legendary Spaniard.
Nadal took management early, however one slip within the second set allowed Kyrgios to dig into the match. And dig he did. The Aussie discovered an amazing serving rhythm to push the lefty to the brink, however Nadal was a bit too constant within the tie-breaks to triumph.
“I’m shattered to have misplaced tonight,” Kyrgios stated. “These are the matches that I need to win essentially the most.”
Rafa was unable to capitalise on his huge win, dropping a gruelling quarter-final, which lasted greater than 4 hours, in opposition to Dominic Thiem within the subsequent spherical.
Picture Credit score: Clive Brunskill/Getty Pictures
2019 Wimbledon R64, grass, Nadal d. Kyrgios 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(3)
5 years on from the pair’s first conflict at Wimbledon, Nadal and Kyrgios arrived at Wimbledon at totally different ranges of kind. The Spaniard, No. 2 within the ATP Rankings, was contemporary off his record-extending twelfth Roland Garros title, whereas the Aussie had received consecutive matches simply twice all yr.
However Kyrgios had defeated Nadal en path to the Acapulco title earlier within the season, and the World No. 43 didn’t concern his opponent. He even introduced out the underarm serve and threw every little thing however the SW19 grass on the Spaniard. However Nadal was too stable below stress, clawing via tie-breaks within the third and fourth units earlier than finally reaching the semi-finals, by which he misplaced in opposition to Roger Federer.
“Along with his expertise and together with his serve, he can win a Grand Slam, in fact,” Nadal stated of Kyrgios. “He has the expertise to do it.”
Picture Credit score: Clive Brunskill/Getty Pictures
2019 Acapulco R16, onerous, Kyrgios d. Nadal 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(6)
Put Kyrgios in a vigorous environment with followers craving leisure and a legend throughout the web, and you’ll in all probability be in for a present. It’s protected to say the group obtained what it wished for on the 2019 Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.
Kyrgios battled onerous on the ATP 500 in Mexico, going for his pictures in opposition to the highest seed. Even nonetheless, he was in a dropping place. Nadal led the final-set tie-break 6/3, however was unable to capitalise on three consecutive match factors, with a Kyrgios backhand drop volley at 4/6 hitting the highest of the web, however bouncing over. Nick accomplished the comeback when the Spaniard missed a backhand lengthy on match level.
“That’s what we play for. To return to Acapulco, Centre Court docket, a packed crowd. They have been by no means silent,” Kyrgios stated. “They have been cheering Rafa’s identify, cheering my identify. It’s a match I’ll always remember.”
It was every week Kyrgios will always remember, as he battled previous Stan Wawrinka, John Isner and Alexander Zverev in his subsequent three matches to raise the trophy and full essentially the most spectacular week of his profession.
2017 Beijing F, onerous, Nadal d. Kyrgios 6-2, 6-1
Nadal practically misplaced his opening match on the China Open, the place he saved two match factors in opposition to Lucas Pouille. From there, the current US Open champion discovered fireplace. His efficiency within the last in opposition to Kyrgios was most spectacular of all.
The lefty saved all 4 break factors he confronted in opposition to the Aussie and received an astonishing 52 per cent of his return factors in opposition to one of many ATP Tour’s finest servers to triumph after 92 minutes.
“I’ve lot of respect for Nick. He is one of many gamers with extra expertise on the Tour,” Nadal stated. “After all, when he is enjoying effectively, when he actually desires to play, definitely is without doubt one of the hardest opponent to play in opposition to.”
2017 Cincinnati QF, onerous, Kyrgios d. Nadal 6-2, 7-5
The day Kyrgios and Nadal met on the 2017 Western & Southern Open was an attention-grabbing one, and never simply because they performed one another. The pair needed to compete twice that day to compensate for the order of play because of rain.
Kyrgios snuck by Ivo Karlovic in three tight units and Nadal eradicated Albert Ramos-Vinolas simply to set their blockbuster later within the day.
“As quickly as I completed, I went again to the lodge. I had a nap. Showered up. Went to the barber store. I chilled,” Kyrgios stated. “I knew I needed to type of simply relax for tonight’s match.”
The break apparently labored, because the Aussie got here out flying in opposition to Nadal. At 5-1, he even took a backhand return from close to the service line, very like Federer’s “Sneak Assault By Roger” tactic. Kyrgios let slip one alternative to serve out the match, however managed to shut out his rival in straight units. The subsequent day he made his first ATP Masters 1000 last in Cincinnati, the place he finally fell in opposition to Grigor Dimitrov.
2017 Madrid R16, clay, Nadal d. Kyrgios 6-3, 6-1
Getting into the third spherical on the Mutua Madrid Open in 2017, Nadal had misplaced simply two units in his clay-court season. Not even a motivated Kyrgios was in a position to hassle the Spaniard.
One of many greatest servers in tennis, the Aussie managed to win simply 51 per cent of his first-serve factors and 45 per cent of his service factors total in opposition to Nadal, who cruised to victory in solely 72 minutes.
“I believe it is nice information,” Nadal stated. “I believe it is not regular to win in opposition to an opponent like this as a result of Nick is a very good opponent.”
Nadal adopted up his triumph in opposition to Kyrgios by defeating three consecutive High 10 opponents — David Goffin, Djokovic and Dominic Thiem — with out dropping a set. The Spaniard later captured his tenth Roland Garros trophy, incomes the crown in Paris with out dropping a set.
2016 Rome R16, clay, Nadal d. Kyrgios 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4
It took practically two years for Kyrgios and Nadal to fulfill for the second time. This time, they clashed on the Spaniard’s favorite floor: clay.
Kyrgios was now not new on the scene, although. The Australian was as much as World No. 20 and contemporary off a victory in opposition to a High 10 star in Milos Raonic on the Roman clay. Nadal had received clay-court titles in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona earlier within the season, however he couldn’t achieve the higher hand early on.
Nadal was unrelenting, although. He transformed 4 of his 15 break factors to battle on after two hours and 40 minutes.
“While you lose a set, I believe everyone is frightened. If any person comes right here and says, ‘I used to be not frightened after dropping the primary set’, [they] in all probability [are] mendacity,” Nadal stated. “While you lose a set, you possibly can lose one other one. Should you lose the second or the third, you are out. And particularly enjoying in opposition to a participant like Nick, that he has an enormous serve, very aggressive participant, nice pictures… it is tough to play below stress after dropping the primary.”
2014 Wimbledon R16, grass, Kyrgios d. Nadal 7-6(5), 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-3
Welcome to the world, Nick Kyrgios.
Hardcore tennis followers knew the Aussie was on the rise getting into Wimbledon. However to the informal fan, Kyrgios was a 19-year-old ranked No. 144 whose run would certainly come to an finish within the fourth spherical in opposition to Nadal, a two-time Wimbledon champion.
However the teen, who simply two weeks earlier had been enjoying an ATP Challenger Tour occasion, checked out house on Centre Court docket. He put his huge serve and daring sport to good use on the slick SW19 grass to announce himself as one of many ATP Tour’s brightest younger abilities.
“That is the most important win of my profession clearly, and that is one thing I am by no means going to overlook,” Kyrgios stated. “I’m going to attract a lot confidence out of that irrespective of the place I play now. To have that below my belt, it is huge.”
Picture Credit score: AFP/Getty Pictures
