Nick Kyrgios once again mocked the rankings and opened the US Open with a resounding fourth round victory over world number 1 and defending champion Daniil Medvedev.
In an explosive match steeped in controversy and drama, Kyrgios risked being sent off and overcame an ongoing verbal battle with the chair referee before ousting the seed 7-6 (13-11) 3- 6 6- 3 6-2 Sunday evening.
It was the Wimbledon runner-up’s second defeat to Medvedev in three weeks and propelled Kyrgios to the quarter-finals in Flushing Meadows for the first time.
Finally realizing his rich potential, the 27-year-old will face another Russian, Karen Khachanov, for a place in the semifinals on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST).
Kyrgios’ longtime ex-girlfriend Ajla Tomljanovic also played her fourth round match Sunday against Russian Liudmila Samsonova in form, looking to give Australia two quarter-finals for the first time in New York. of this century.
Now three wins away from destroying his duck for the Grand Slam title, Kyrgios has been imperious at times.
He received a standing ovation from the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd after winning a thrilling first set that lasted over an hour.
Other times he flirted with disaster.
He seemed to have thrown away the first set after giving up the 4-2 and then the 4-1 in the tiebreak, not to mention the threat of hitting the self-destruct button and engaging in a useless and protracted trade with the Greek referee. Eva Asderaki-Moore.
Canberran fuel detonated Asderaki-Moore for starting the clock seemingly too early.
“You’re the only referee I have a problem with in this case,” Kyrgios told him.
“Use your common sense. Just use it a little.
But, after regaining his composure and battling three set points, Kyrgios took home a fourth with a superb backhand rebound kick that almost returned to his side of the net.
It was probably the shot of the entire match and he duly grabbed the set when Medvedev sent a wide forehand after 63 minutes of quality tennis.
But it wasn’t long before tensions really escalated.
Medvedev got mad at the referee for not warning Kyrgios after the Aussie, frustrated with taking an early break in the second set, went within inches of hitting a ball in the front row of the stands and probably a spectator.
Medvedev then threatened to resign unless someone from Kyrgios’ entourage was expelled for interrupting the seed between first and second service.
“They can’t do that,” Medvedev said angrily.
“If they do it a second time, I don’t play, I’m out, until someone is out.”
Having tied the game in one set each, Medvedev received an extraordinary, perhaps unprecedented, gift from Kyrgios.
After appearing to earn a break point in the second game of the third set when Medvedev was unable to return a ball, Kyrgios ran around the net in celebration and hit the ball for a false winner.
However, Asderaki-Moore rightly awarded the point to Medvedev as the Russian’s shot was ‘still in play’, while not clearly going to the net.
“I thought it was legal,” Kyrgios said, shaking off the somewhat unusual mistake before breaking Medvedev in his next serving game to take a 3-1 lead and then take a 3-1 lead. two sets against one.
Kyrgios turned the screws with another break in the third game of the fourth set, then received an audible obscenity the next game.
But that didn’t matter as Kyrgios scored a double break and secured his 20th win in his last 23 games after two hours and 53 minutes.