New Delhi: Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios beat Daniil Medvedev 7-6(11), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in Men’s round 16 of the US Open 2022 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, Flushing Meadows, New York, on Monday, September 05, 2022.
The 23rd seed entered the match with a 3-1 head-to-head lead against Medvedev and won the event by adopting an aggressive strategy in a match that lasted two hours and 53 minutes.
The match began with Kyrgios pushing the opener into a decider. The two locked heads as they made long rallies before the Australian made a breakpoint and won the set 7-6 (11).
Kyrgios was unable to sustain his momentum in the second set as his opponent Medvedev took advantage of the opportunity. Daniil seized an immediate breakpoint and surged with a 5-1 lead. Though Kyrgios regained focus, he missed a neutral backhand that allowed Medvedev to level scores.
Kyrgios made a critical mistake in the third set when the 23 year old rushed around the net and swatted the ball that was not about to land anywhere close to the net. Though he celebrated after the move, the point went to his opponent as per the rules. Despite the error, the Australian broke his opponent’s serve and won another set 6-3.
The final set ensured Kyrgios an early break and he continued to hang onto the break through aggressive backhands, strong aces, swift court coverage, and by breaking five times and saving five out of eight breakpoints. Kyrgios ultimately won the set 6-2.
Kyrgios made 21 aces and 53 wins on Monday and will progress to play in the quarterfinals on September 07, 2022. Meanwhile, Medvedev showed fine sportsmanship as he made only 19 unforced errors. However, he will not be able to play the Quarterfinals.
“Today I felt a little bit sick. I mean, the thing is in USA I get sick one time for sure in the swing because the AC is just crazy. I felt my throat a little bit today. I think that physically maybe that played a little bit of a role. At the same time it’s not an excuse at all because Nick played good,” Medvedev told reporters after the match.
(Avya Mathur)