Nick Kyrgios claimed a set against Rafael Nadal on clay in Rome 2016
Nick Kyrgios did not mind losing to Rafael Nadal in Rome 2016, admitting he could not walk the next day following an intense physical battle! The next stop of Patrick Mouratoglou’s UTS event is set for New York a week before the US Open.
Kyrgios should compete if he recovers from an ongoing knee injury, and he discussed various topics with Mouratoglou and Alexander Bublik recently in London. The Aussies explained all the difficulties of facing ‘a beast’ Rafael Nadal on clay, challenging him at Foro Italico eight years ago but struggling to walk the next day!
Nadal prevailed 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 in two hours and 40 minutes, arranging the quarter-final duel against his old rival, Novak Djokovic. Had Kyrgios prevailed, he would have likely given Djokovic a walkover, needing time to recover after an extended battle against the king of clay.
Nick praised Rafa’s forehand crosscourt that pushed the rival’s backhands to the limits during his prime, blocking his opponents from playing a decent shot from their left wing.
The Aussie fired nine aces but could not match the rival’s pace behind the first and second serve. The Spaniard could have sealed the deal earlier, defending three out of four break points and earning 15 opportunities on the return.
Nadal seized four, overcoming the opening set’s scare and emerging at the top with an early break in the decider. Rafa tamed his strokes nicely, hitting the same number of forced errors and welcoming Nick’s 50 unforced mistakes.
The Spaniard forged a slight lead in the quickest exchanges up to four strokes and had the upper hand in the most extended ones. Two years after stunning Nadal at Wimbledon, Kyrgios was ready for another thriller.
Nick Kyrgios battled against Rafael Nadal in Rome 2016.
The Aussie embraced an aggressive approach in the opening set, landing 19 winners and 14 unforced errors and reducing the Spaniard to two winners and 15 mistakes.
While no one would have predicted that based on numbers, Nadal stayed in touch until the tie break and even had a set point in the tenth game. Kyrgios denied it and extended his great runs in the tie breaks for an early advantage against the seven-time champion.
The Aussie made a flying start and fired a backhand crosscourt winner in the first game of the encounter for a break at love. The Spaniard squandered two break points in the second game before seizing the third after the rival’s backhand mistakes, leveling the score at 1-1 and adding his name to the scoreboard.
They served well in the upcoming games, and Nick closed the eighth with an ace after a deuce for 4-4. Nadal held at love in game nine and made a push on the return in the next one, generating a set point.
Kyrgios saved it with a service winner and landed two more direct points for a hold and 5-5.
They served well in games 11 and 12, introducing a tie break. Nick built the advantage and clinched it 7-3 with a forehand winner, moving closer to his career-best victory on clay. Rafa stepped in and raised his level in the second set.
The Spaniard landed ten winners and three unforced errors, fending off all three break points in the final game of the set and turning almost half of the return points into a double break. Nadal cracked a forehand winner in the first game, securing a break at love and mirroring that on his serve a few minutes later with three direct points from his stronger wing.
Kyrgios denied two break points in the third game before his rival produced another fine hold for 3-1. Nick sprayed more issues behind the initial shot in the fifth game, spraying a forehand error and falling further behind.
Rafa held at 30 for 5-1 and served for the set in game eight. The Spaniard saved three break points, defending them and painting a forehand winner on a set point to force a decider.
Kyrgios saved a break point in the first game with a backhand drop shot winner, holding and staying on the positive side. The Aussie struggled again in game three, fending off two break points with winners before the Spaniard seized the third with a forehand winner, opening a 2-1 advantage.
Nadal came back from 0-30 in the fourth game and held after two deuces, cementing the break and moving closer to the finish line. Nick experienced three break points in the fifth game, defending them with powerful serves and holding, remaining within one break deficit.
They served well in the next three games, with Nadal moving 5-3 in front and keeping the pressure on the other side. Nick prolonged the battle with a hold at love in game nine before Rafa sealed the deal with a hold at 15 at 5-4, setting the quarter-final duel with Novak Djokovic.
“I played against Rafa in Rome years ago. I lost, like, 6-3 in the decider and could not walk the next day. Facing Rafa on clay is a different dimension physically; he is a beast. I was happy I did not win, as I would not be able to play the next day. His forehand crosscourt ruins your backhand, and it was impossible to oppose in his prime,” Nick Kyrgios said.