Former Major finalist Nick Kyrgios misses tennis! Struggling with a knee injury, Nick has played only one match since October 2022, dropping out from the ATP ranking list and contemplating retirement if he fails to recover.
Sharing his favorite memories with his fans on Instagram, Kyrgios recalled his epic win over Rafael Nadal in Acapulco 2019. It was their sixth and one of the most memorable duels, with the Aussie defending three match points in the deciding tie break in a 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 triumph in three hours and three minutes in the second round.
Rafa was unhappy with Nick’s behavior, the underarm serve and the fact that he spent almost no time between serves, leaving him unprepared for the returns.
The crowd booed the Aussie after the last point, and the handshake between the players was anything but friendly.
While praising Kyrgios’ talent and calling him the future Major contender, Nadal remarked that the Aussie lacked respect toward the crowd, his opponent and himself. Nick came to Acapulco with five matches in 2019, with his knees bothering him a lot.
However, he found his A-game in Mexico and reached the final. Nadal had a couple of chances to seal the deal. He created four break points while leading 6-3, 4-4, missing an opportunity to move closer to the finish line. Also, the Spaniard squandered five break chances at 3-2 in the final set and three match points at 6-3 in the tie break.
Kyrgios stayed composed, rattling off five points and earning a notable victory. Rafa took ten points more than his rival, but not the crucial ones. The Spaniard had 39 winners and 17 unforced errors, while the Aussie landed 58 direct points and 49 mistakes, keeping the points on his racquet.
Rafa forged the advantage in the shortest and mid-range rallies, with Nick erasing the deficit a bit in the more advanced exchanges. The Spaniard made a reliable start, dropping four points on serve in the opening set and securing a break in game six that made the difference.
Kyrgios squandered a 40-15 lead and hit a double fault after a risky serve to offer Nadal a break chance. The Aussie sprayed a volley error at the net, losing serve and falling 4-2 behind. Rafa cemented the lead with a service winner in game seven and served for the opener at 5-3
