The stage is set for another showdown between Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios, this time in round four of the Australian Open. Dominic Thiem and Gael Monfils are also aiming for a place in the quarterfinals on Monday.
(1) Rafael Nadal vs. (23) Nick Kyrgios
One of the most bad-blooded rivalries in tennis will be renewed when Nadal and Kyrgios square off for the eighth time in their careers during fourth-round action at the Australian Open on Monday. Nadal leads the head-to-head series by a competitive 4-3 margin, with Kyrgios having won two of their three hard-court encounters. They have split a pair of Grand Slam contests, both at Wimbledon; Kyrgios pulled off a 7-6(5), 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-3 upset in 2014 and Nadal got the job done 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(3) last summer.
Kyrgios is putting together what his really just his second impressive run in Melbourne (also quarterfinals in 2015), but it has not been easy. The 26th-ranked Australian followed up wins over Lorenzo Sonego and Gilles Simon by outlasting Karen Khachanov 6-2, 7-6(5), 6-7(6), 6-7(7), 7-6(8) in an instant classic on Saturday night. He will have to recover quickly to face a well-rested Nadal, who has easily disposed of Hugo Dellien, Federico Delbonis, and Pablo Carreno Busta. The turnaround is too quick and the court is not quick enough for another Nadal-Kyrgios battle to live up to the hype.
Ricky Pick: Nadal in 3
Cheryl Pick: Nadal in 4
[crowdsignal poll=10496197]
(10) Gael Monfils vs. (5) Dominic Thiem
Not too much unlike Kyrgios (even though he does not come with the same kind of baggage), Monfils has the talent to win a Grand Slam but has not yet put it all together. The 10th-ranked Frenchman may never get over the hump given that he is 33 years old, but for now things have been so far so good in Melbourne this fortnight. Monfils is through to the fourth round following victories over Yen-Hsun Lu, Ivo Karlovic, and Ernests Gulbis.
Up next is sixth career meeting with Thiem, who is sweeping the head-to-head series 5-0. They most recently faced each other last spring at Roland Garros, where the Austrian dominated 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. A hard court obviously gives Monfils a much better chance, but Thiem has improved bigtime on this surface over the past two years. The reigning Indian Wells champion recently finished runner-up at the Nitto ATP Finals and he booked his spot in the last 16 here by taking out Adrian Mannarino, Alex Bolt, and Taylor Fritz. Thiem’s level right now is too good for Monfils to suddenly erase his demons from this particular matchup.
Ricky Pick: Thiem in 4
Cheryl Pick: Thiem in 4
[crowdsignal poll=10496200]
Leave a Reply