Nick Kyrgios is finally putting together another memorable run in Melbourne.
Aiming or his first quarterfinal performance at his home Grand Slam since 2015, Kyrgios took one more step in that effort by outlasting Karen Khachanov 6-2, 7-6(5), 6-7(6), 6-7(7), 7-6(8) in a third-round thriller on Saturday night.
The 26th-ranked Australian got what he wanted: a third consecutive match on his favorite court, Melbourne Arena. And he gave the fans what they wanted: an epic, five-set, spine-tingling victory.
Kyrgios crushed 33 aces among his 97 winners while committing only four double-faults and 52 unforced errors throughout the four-hour and 26-minute triumph. Despite his opponent’s plus-45 winners-to-errors ratio, Khachanov put on a similar inspired display that included 21 aces, 75 winners, and 44 errors.
It was a second straight five-setter for Khachanov, who survived Mikael Ymer by the same 10-8 in a fifth-set tiebreaker margin during second-round action. The 17th-ranked Russian almost bowed out much earlier against Kyrgios, but he saved match points in both the third and fourth sets to force a decider. Khachanov came within two points of victory at 8-7 in the final ‘breaker, but Kyrgios leveled up at 8-8 with a backhand winner and then clinched it thanks to a pair of errors by Khachanov.
“It was crazy,” Kyrgios assured. “That was definitely one of the craziest matches I’ve ever been a part of. It was insane. (I) had a match point in the third, a match point in the fourth. Then 8-7 down (in the tiebreaker), I had all the thoughts. I thought I was going to lose. I was thinking about everything. I was thinking about the media if I lost…. Everything. Then, yeah, it was crazy.”
Another crazy scene should be in store for Monday, but this time Kyrgios won’t be playing in Melbourne Arena. No, the main court at Melbourne Park–Rod Laver Arena– is the only one suitable to host the spectacle that will be Kyrgios vs. Rafael Nadal in the fourth round.
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nice one, Nick