Stan Wawrinka and Nick Kyrgios are one round away from what would be a headline-stealing semifinal showdown in Dubai. They first have to get through respective meetings with Philipp Kohlschreiber and Tomas Berdych on Thursday.
Nick Kyrgios vs. (3) Tomas Berdych
Berdych and Kyrgios will be squaring off for the third time in their careers and for the third time already this season when they collide again in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Thursday. They just faced each other last week in the Marseille semis, with Kyrgios cruising 6-4, 6-2 en route to his first career ATP title. The 20-year-old Aussie had previously lost to Berdych 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 during third-round action at the Australian Open.
Two days after his Marseille triumph, Kyrgios did not appear to have any interest in lasting long in Dubai. He dropped his opening set to Martin Klizan without putting up much of an effort, but the Slovak took his foot off the gas pedal and Kyrgios recovered for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory. Given new life, the world No. 33 hammered Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday. Berdych has advanced with straight-set victories over Joao Sousa and Thomas Fabbiano. Needless to say, the competition level is now ratcheting up in a major way for the eighth-ranked Czech. After his out-of-sorts performance against Klizan, Kyrgios–who held all 47 of his service games last week–fired 11 aces without double-faulting against Kukushkin and did not face a single break point.
Pick:Â Kyrgios in 3
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(8) Philipp Kohlschreiber vs. (2) Stan Wawrinka
Wawrinka and Kohlschreiber will be going head-to-head for the third time overall and for the first time since all the way back in 2008 when they battle for a place in the Dubai semifinals on Thursday. The Swiss won each of their two encounters eight years ago; 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 at the French Open and 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(5) on the indoor hard courts of Madrid. A scheduled 2015 meeting in Metz was denied when Wawrinka pulled out due to injury.
The No. 2 seed, who is coming off a Marseille quarterfinal loss to Benoit Paire, has defeated Sergiy Stakhovsky (7-5 in the third set) and Franko Skugor (7-5, 6-1) so far this week. In addition to relatively lackluster form at the moment, Wawrinka also seemed to be dealing with heavy legs in the second set against Skugor. Kohlschreiber heated up with a quarterfinal finish in Sofia and a semifinal run in Rotterdam. The 28th-ranked German has maintained his fine form in Dubai with straight-set defeats of Borna Coric and Marseil Ilhan. An upset looks like it could be in the cards.
Pick:Â Kohlschreiber in 3
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who ya got?
CryBaby and T-Bird in three.
#MirkasRight
Stanimal in three but that could go either way. And NK in two over Berdych. I think we will have a rematch. I hope so that’s for sure!
I like Berdych in 3 and Wka in straight.
Wawrinka will do his best to make it for his poor Marseiile performance. Bet he’ll win in 3
StanTHEman in 2 and Kyrgios in 2 sets. his serve looks unbreakable at the moment.
Rematch would be great motivation for both of them!!
So far WaWa has been doing just enough at the 11th hour to get the wins. Guess he is pacing himself to peak for the Masters and Slams. He’ll do it in 3 unless he wants to avoid the rampaging Kyrgios in which case we could see a strategic loss.
Kohlbi in 3
I doubt Berdy has the ammunition to ward off a Kyrgios who must be eyeing the enticing prospect of back to back titles. He will need to guard against being over confident against the more experienced Berdych and the upcoming Davis Cup could also be a factor..
Kyrgios in 3
Kyrgios is acting wounded
He seems injured. I don’t think he would fake it.
As I say this he had a medical time out now he is moving ten times better.
Did you see that spread eagle jump? What was that? hahahaha
I don’t know what to think but he’s something…
Do you think he was faking the injury cause he looks like a different players as well Berdy is playing terrible. Could it be how kyrgios is playing at the moment?
I have no idea. He is Happy Gilmore as far as I know 🙂
As Brad Gilbert likes to say, “beware of wounded bear”
Kyrgios 1st set 64
Probably one of the weirdest tennis games i’ve ever watched
Annabelle Croft agrees with you and so do I. But the Kyrgios v Klizan match was up there in weird.
Feel like Berd will get this set, maybe, maybe not. Do you think Berd is getting used to this a little?
looked legitimate. The trainer worked magic and he was a different player after the MTO.
what happened
Nick is having his back worked on and wincing in pain.
He will suddenly be fine for DC.
https://mobile.twitter.com/DavisCup/status/702799945204670464
Can’t believe I’m laughing this hard at 5:30 in the morning, Hawk. He needs to lose and fly to Australia. I know everyone wants the Wawa v Nick but…
Who is the male commentator?
Dunno.
#ScoreBoredLurking
good job, Nick! Playing intelligent tennis…and Berdy did not even play bad, he was very good in the second set…But Nick is simply brilliant…
I did not see the beginning of the match and did not know Nick was injured. I thought his mellow game came from him not feeling like playing tennis today…shame on me!
Hope he stays focused and fit to beat Wawa and clash with Novak…
Let’s go Nick! You can do it!
Kyrgios is really climbing up the ladders now. He will be a serious threat on hard courts and grass in slams.
Yup!
If he keep this up I’m thinking a QF or SF run at Wimbledon.
Kyrgios vs Djokovic in the 3rd/4th rnd of Wimbledon.
can’t be third round
Kyrgios wins in 2 as I thought. Great stuff from Nick. He’s on a eight match win streak now. Let’s go Nick!!
I heard Nick had some back problems during the match? Hope it doesn’t affect him next match. He said something about food poisoning that he thought he got last night too. If he did then it didn’t affect him lol. Great win for Nick. Hope we get a Stan/Kyrgios rematch.
same. will have to watch replay.
Observed him holding his side/back and grimacing in pain — Berdych noticed it too. He did get a medical time-out and a someone worked on his back. Maybe they gave him something for pain too, but I didn’t see it. He was getting air when jumping into hitting the fuzz off the ball after the MTO.
Hope he’s okay for DC. Hard to know what to think, really. I’m entertained.
Nick is very tough to read, imo. Sometimes I think he’s having us on, sometimes he’s for real, part genius, part clown…
Definitely could annoy the heck outta Stan. Enough to have a punch up? Happy Gilmore style. Stan will have seen the Klizan and Berdych match by now. He might be resolved to take the high road. Whatever the case – I’m waking up for it.
Djokovic OUT
at what point in the match was it
Stan off to good start getting an early break.
Spoke too soon. Stan broken back immediately.
44
Nice to see Kohls so sharp again. Another Benjamin Button.
Hopp Stan! You have a date with Nick in the sf.
Any of you think Kyrgios pose a serious threat to the top 4 this year? Or am I overreacting to his recent success?
already a top 4 talent. all depends on his head.
True. He could win Wimbledon if he played amazing on serve no exaggeration. I think he’ll make more of a QF or SF run but a final or win isn’t impossible.
Too much of a non-Kholieber.
Djokovic has retired!!!
Anyone know why?
no
Eye infection.
Eye infection? Ouch.
https://twitter.com/ddftennis/status/702910510640054272
I was assuming it would be a straight set win for Nole so left to take the dog out. Thought I would be back in time to catch the 2nd set. Did he chicken out of facing the terror of the tour 🙂
Makes a showdown between WaWa and his betes noir inevitable now.
Unless WaWa withdraws lol.
@ed 5:40 PM,
I think he (Nole) did! 🙂
Went to the ATP site. You might expect them to have the news. Silly me!!!!!
Holy crap!! This is the winner of Kyrgios/Wawrinka’s title to lose!! Yes!! Djoker loses!! I know it was off of retirement but still yes. Huge for Lopez because he’s got baghdatis in semis and that’s winnable. Either way baghy and feli will be happy about this lol. Woohoo!!
Just read Nole was booed off the court.
Not cool. H8rs.
booed for retiring with an eye infection!! utterly classless….
go nole…rest and come back strong…
envy is everywhere..
typical fans
Only one player that wouldn’t be booed.
#_____azzi
Completely forgot that Nole ole ole match was on. Yeah haterz hey day.
Nole wears contact lenses and has, since I’ve been watching him, had sensitive eyes and eye trouble at times. The wind has been a problem in Dubai all week. Dusty wind and sweat, salt, dust, particles in the eye,dry eyes – then rub the eye during your sleep and I’d guess a corneal abrasion or maybe even an inflammation. I heard something about dizziness in a sound byte…
Sad for Nole. Sad for me. Wanted a Nole v Kyrgios final.
Vamos Deliciano! ?
RT Daitarn III (@ATPWorldTour Head of Press Office…): “Nole got booed BIG time by a group of supporters in the stands, he yelled the words … [see the link below] at them as walked off court.”
https://twitter.com/MutekiDaitarn/status/702908053776166913
It wasn’t the first time that Djoko shouted a vulgarity at the crowd. For example, it happened also in Madrid in May 2013.
if he gets booed for being injured then who cares?? being an individual faced with a booing crowd must be an appalling experience..
i am not about to moralise about that or take up a superior position…
#NolesRight
#MirkasRight
i generally find a good bout of swearing is very therapeutic..
good for nole i say…!
Amy,
I agree. Novak has not retired in a match since I don’t know when. Boorish behavior from fans is never okay. I don’t blame Novak for blowing off steam and cursing at the crowd. For one thing, I am sure he wasn’t happy to be out of the tournament.
I remember one year when he played Rafa at the WTF in London and had problems with his contacts and something getting in his eyes. I think he finished the match, but at times he was struggling to see.
No Rafa fan enjoyed watching him get booed by the AO cried when he had to go off court to get treatment for his back.
Head of ATP’s press office has 300 followers and a cat for an avatar.
Head of tinfoil hats more like it LOL!!!!
I wonder how many followers Christophe Umlaut has?
LOL at quoting that guy. Hahahahahaha
What did he say?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3vdBr2jKvM
Yelling STFU at the people booing was unnecessary but was baby talk compared with the obscenities he came out with in Madrid. Of course It would have been more dignified if he had simply ignored them but he has long had a chip on his shoulder and is easily riled when the crowd are being hostile.
No, actually that’s not the case at all these days. Novak had to deal with intensely pro-.Fed crowds at last year’s Wimbledon and USO slam finals. The crowd at the USO was particularly bad and Novaj handled himself very well
Considering the behavior we have seen from the likes of Kyrgios, this was nothing.
I do hope you’re not comparing him with Kyrgios who has only been on the scene for a little over a year!
Djokovic has been on the tour for ten years, in the top four since early 2008 and is in his fourth year as the world No.1. You’re right in the past couple of years he’s got much better at dealing with the favourtism shown to Roger and Rafa and is probably still the most gracious in defeat –which let’s face it doesn’t happen very often these day lol
At the end of the day it was just a few louts in the crowd heckling him. It would have been wiser and more dignified – as befits his status –not to engage with them. Just saying.
well said, ed!
Nah, I say give it to ’em ala Johnny Mac mode.
Besides, I wouldn’t trust the source on what was said by Nole but I do hope he landed a few choice words on them.
Better yet, he should have told them where to apply negative pressure.
I read that the fans in question were wearing RF logos. 🙂
As I said, nothing but h8er fandom run amuck.
Ajde Nole!!!
Hawkeye,
Thanks for making those points. It was probably haters anyway.
There have been things that Novak has done in the past that I have not liked at all. In particular, earlier in his career as in after he won the 2008 AO and let it go to his head. I have enumerated them previously and we all know about it.
He has improved his behavior quite a bit in the last few years, so I am willing to let this incident go.
For the record, I was not specifically drawing an analogy between Novak and Krygios. But I was trying to get some perspective about the fact that there has been much worse behavior by other players. Not only Krygios.
Are we supposed to forget that Murray has been known to shout profanities on many occasions in matches? That I think is a much more appropriate comparison.
Well we really don’t know what he said even though it was the “Head of ATP Media” LOL.
#CatAvatarsAreEverywhere
#QuestionTheSource(s)
I never approve such behavior especially not from the role model for the youngsters all over the world. He will never learn. Well, it has to do with the mentality of the Balkans and it’s probably beyond his control…
I wonder if Rafa did something similar what would certain fans say? I doubt they would find excuses for Rafa… They would probably blame Toni again for not teaching him manners… 🙂
Well we don’t have to worry about rafa’s behavior in the court. He has lost his temper at times in the heat of competition and at umpires, but has not confronted fans in the stands in that way.
We also don’t need the sarcasm of anyone trying to blame it on Uncle Toni! Some people are taking this way too personally. If others have an issue with uncle Toni, then they should feel free to say it. No one has immunity guaranteed to them.
So are we to say that Murray is not a good role model for kids, too? Or is it just Novak? Players should try to be role models for children, but they are also human.
@ native 11:06 PM,
you do not need sarcasm? Isn’t that what we read over and over again when it comes to Uncle T. and his thrashing on this site by some of the “devoted Rafa fans”…so that sarcasm does not bother you but vice versa does? I think you are the one taking this “way too personally”…Sorry, you will have to live with people who have opposite opinion and feeling free to express it…that’s what forums are about…
Andy Murray never fights with the crowd…Andy’s personality is already been ridiculed and condemned as he always grumbles and fights with himself…doing it with innocent people who paid loads of money to watch them play is just plain stupid thing to do…especially if you are the No1…
Well said, natashao! (AT 10:57 AM)
Natashao,
No you are the one who has the problem with anybody saying something negative about Uncle Toni. You have made that clear on the Rafa fan page. Also the umbrage you took at the likes of Tiggy for having some critical things to say about Rafa.
Any time something less than unconditional fulsome praise is heaped on Rafa and his team, there are the usual posts talking about polluting this site.
You are the one who is displaying intolerance for different opinions. Fortunately, Ricky allows an array of opinions and would not accuse someone of polluting the site over it.
Nativenewyorker (AT 4:03 PM),
—Any time something less than unconditional fulsome praise is heaped on Rafa and his team, there are the usual posts talking about polluting this site.—
===
.
Any time something positive about Rafa has been posted, there are the usual posts bashing it.
Nativenewyorker (AT 4:03 PM),
—there are the usual posts talking about polluting this site.—
===
Speaking of ‘polluting’, I do asked amy: “If I may ask, why are you polluting this site with TX? [Tennis-X]”
I don’t remember if I got any answer.
An attack at AT 5:19 PM, as usual.
One sad attack from you:
https://tenngrand.com/2016/02/24/dubai-qf-previews-and-picks-berdych-vs-kyrgios-wawrinka-vs-kohlschreiber/comment-page-1/#comment-90510
deserves a better one from me! 🙂
Answer: You are a much bigger polluter than the one you ask.
@ native 4:03 PM,
Devil’s advocate ?
This role model nonsense has to stop. The only thing a tennis player is a role model for is his approach to the game itself. Kids are better off shaping their own personalities according to preference and circumstance. Pretty rich telling someone how to behave when most of your own behaviour is simulated for the cameras, don’t you think?
@ Mikkers 7:07 AM,
really? You probably do not have kids…and you do not have any idea what Novak Djokovic means in Serbia and in the Balkans…he is the true role model! He should not allow himself into these vulgar fights with the crowd…and he knows it now…he was driven by the circumstances and is probably sorry now…so what will he do? End up skipping Dubai as he did with Madrid? This was stupid thing to do and Novak will have to know better than that…he worked so hard to win the fans all over the world…no matter what we say here and whether we find excuses for him, this incident is step backwards…
Mikkers,
Thank you! Just like McEnroe back in the day with his tirades. Ilie Nastase with his crazy antics on the court back in the day, that caused the sport to create a code of conduct.
People tend to criticize those players who they just don’t like, while overlooking other bad behavior because it’s convenient.
I happen to agree with you!
You’re so right. We are all, up to a point, governed by the culture we were reared in. Do you remember Danica from TT? She was from Serbia or that part of the world, and a Djokovic fan, but absolutely understood why he raised peoples’ hackles. She and I had many interesting discussions on the subject.
The other thing is that we cant change our innate personality but we can modify our behaviour.
Kyrgios are you listening.
What makes you an authority on how people have to behave?
What is the point of your question?
This was the Kyrgios jump shot right after his Medical time-out – (hope this posts)
https://youtu.be/kuxEnOIo2HU
Monfils
He put put a tactical twist on the maneuver though. The timing. Look at the score – it was directly after the MTO. Astonishing – in yo face timing. Absurdly funny – couldn’t help busting up at the ridiculous balls of it. Croft was cracking up too. Hate him or love him. I love a Happy Gilmore character – especially since I doubt he knows who Happy Gilmore is. Life imitating Adam Sandler.
The picture is worth more than a couple of words quoted earlier:
RT We Are Tennis: ¤¤ Novak Djokovic reacts after being booed by Dubai crowd.¤¤
https://twitter.com/WeAreTennis/status/702930043589279744
If he was well enough to start the match he was well enough to finish the match. And the crowd saw him refuse the offer from the medics to have eye drops and a wash-out. That’s what riled the people who booed.
#HiddenAgenda
Nah, they’re just hostile fedfans looking for their pound of flesh. They had RF caps on.
#Federazzi
Hawkeye,
Yes you are correct. But it is convenient to try and find a way to rationalize their behavior.
Crowds will do what they are going to do. Novak could have handled it better, but it’s easy to judge someone after the fact and feel superior.