Kyrgios

2022 - 9 - 7

Post cover — Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

Nick Kyrgios bounced out of US Open by Karen Khachanov in ... (The Guardian)

Nick Kyrgios's run at the US Open title came to an agonising end as Karen Khachanov edged out the Australian after five sets at Flushing Meadows.

That proved enough, so soundly did the Australian serve for the rest of the set to level the match. Khachanov saved two break points in the opening game of the third set. The Australian called for medical treatment on the niggle that was bothering him and started the second set in sharper fashion, snaring a break to lead 2-1. The first set was not quite a case of blink and you missed it. This was the type of tennis officials once feared would become commonplace until measures were put in place to slow the pace a little. And the same reach came to the fore when Khachanov, whose forehand technique resembles “The Crane” kick deployed by Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid, whipped one up the line that proved too heavy for Kyrgios to handle on set point. Kygrios had started the match a heavy favourite following his dismantling of Khachanov’s compatriot Daniil Medvedev, the defending champion. When they played at Melbourne Park in 2020, the final four sets of another thriller won by Kyrgios ended in tiebreakers. The favourite for the US Open title after the exit of Rafael Nadal, the Australian looked finally to have found his rhythm in what proved a moody yet electric quarter-final on Tuesday night at Flushing Meadows. Deep in the third set of a tight encounter at four games-all, two break points arose against the rangy Russian who played superbly to produce his career-best performance in a grand slam. On the second of those points, Kyrgios worked into position to punish a forehand. As gallant as the Australian was when edged 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4 by Karen Khachanov at the US Open, one wonders whether such a golden chance will ever come again.

Nick Kyrgios's U.S. Open Run Ends One Match After Beating the Top ... (The New York Times)

Karen Khachanov of Russia needed five sets to put Kyrgios away, 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7, 6-4. He will play Casper Rudd of Norway in the semifinals on Friday.

In the finals he [lost in four sets to Djokovic](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/10/sports/tennis/novak-djokovic-kyrgios-wimbledon.html), who won his 21st Grand Slam singles title. The sport, and the expectations that had been placed on him when he burst onto the scene as a 19-year-old, Djokovic’s refusal to receive a vaccination for Covid-19 prevented him from entering the country to participate, and then Nadal had been eliminated in the fourth round. The victory both lit a fire in Kyrgios and also taught him how much commitment and energy playing a Grand Slam to the finish over two weeks required. [Kyrgios to face a charge](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/05/sports/tennis/kyrgios-assault-wimbledon.html) of assaulting his former girlfriend in Canberra last December. He played little during the early days of the pandemic, choosing not to travel the world to play in empty stadiums. After losing two golden chances to break Khachanov’s serve late in the third set, he smashed his racket on the ground and later smacked a television camera with his hand. Instead he fought to the bitter end, whipping forehands and pounding serves, moaning as he chased down shots against a stubborn player who managed to come up with his own big serves when needed, including on the final point, one last bomb down the middle of the court. He also kept his emotions in check, even as the crowd rallied behind Kyrgios — New York has always loved a showman — and heckled the Russian. On Monday, Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam singles champion, [lost in fourth sets to Frances Tiafoe](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/05/sports/tennis/us-open-nadal-tiafoe.html), a rising American. He struggled all night to crack the code of Khachanov’s serve, especially on his rare chances to break it. He will play Casper Rudd of Norway in the semifinals on Friday.

US Open: Nick Kyrgios bows out after loss to Karen Khachanov in ... (Sky Sports)

Wimbledon finalists Nick Kyrgios exited in the last eight at Flushing Meadows after going down in five sets to Karen Khachanov; The 27-year-old Australia ...

The crowd were firmly on Kyrgios' side but Khachanov was determined not to let his opportunity slip away and broke serve in the opening game. However, Kyrgios had two chances to break at 4-4 but could not take either, hurling his racket angrily after the second. He took a medical timeout after losing the opening set for treatment on his left knee, having complained to his box that he could not walk.

Nick Kyrgios 'devastated' after quarterfinal defeat to Karen ... (CNN)

This US Open seemed like a golden opportunity for Nick Kyrgios to win his first-ever grand slam.

You should just run up and show up at a grand slam, that's what you're remembered by." "Serving for the match [is] never easy. He will now face Casper Ruud on Friday for a place in the US Open final. Kyrgios' momentum seemed to spill over into the third set as he engineered two break points in Khachanov's opening service game, then another two at 4-4. Everyone is carrying a bit of a niggle right now." "Obviously I've been playing a lot of tennis the last couple months ...

Nick Kyrgios called out for US Open 'nonsense' and told he's wasted ... (Daily Express)

NICK KYRGIOS was accused of losing his momentum with unnecessary 'nonsense' resulting in a shock US Open defeat to Russia's Karen Khachanov.

“Everything that had happened in the last hour had worked with him playing Plan A type tennis, meat and potatoes tennis. However, the Australian had another volatile performance resulting in a quarter-final 7-5 4-6 7-5 6-7 (3) 6-4 defeat to Russian Karen Khachanov. [Nick Kyrgios](/latest/nick-kyrgios) has been called out for unnecessary ‘nonsense’ which cost him his chance of winning a first Grand Slam tournament.

Nick Kyrgios and his US Open outburst showed he is now trapped ... (The Independent)

Nick Kyrgios started with the racket in his hand, pounding it into the court four times, each smash breaking through the hush that had quickly descended among ...

But that Kyrgios has reached a position where he believes he can win a grand slam, through reaching the Wimbledon final and beating some of the best players in the world, is in itself a remarkable feat. That should be all that matters but Kyrgios has set himself a goal, and left himself little room for perspective, which presents a different type of turmoil. It was channelled in the wrong way, but the lack of spark that preceded it leaves the defeat as close to inexplicable. Above all, though, he feels the expectation to achieve what he believes would make all of this worthwhile, not just for himself but for the close band of his team who journey with him, and whose support acts as his motivation. The motivation he has found for his tennis this season will be tested across the long four months between now and the Australian Open. Kyrgios has often said his defeats at the US Open have been the hardest to take. Kyrgios could see the finish line, not just in terms of going home, but in winning a grand slam that would have symbolised a deep, cathartic release. He does so, however, after a defeat that will rank as the most painful of his career. After wanting to give New York a show in his [US Open quarter-final against Karen Khachanov](/sport/tennis/nick-kyrgios-us-open-karen-khachanov-b2161479.html), this final act of destruction was the closest Kyrgios got to producing his explosive game. After four months on the road, his season is over and he will return to Australia and the home he has openly longed for since Wimbledon. Then he found a second and wrecked it too, almost splitting it in half, its bent frame telling the story of a plan that had gone to pieces. [Nick Kyrgios](/topic/nick-kyrgios) started with the racket in his hand, pounding it into the court four times, each smash breaking through the hush that had quickly descended among the midnight crowd.