Nick Kyrgios stuns Novak Djokovic again as Roger Federer races past Rafa Nadal at Indian Wells
Australian overpowers world number two for the second time in as many weeks to book quarter-final berth against Federer, who brutally sweeps aside old foe
Nick Kyrgios overpowered Novak Djokovic for the second time in as many weeks on Wednesday to book an Indian Wells quarter-final berth against Roger Federer, who brutally swept aside old foe Rafael Nadal.
Kyrgios put on another stellar serving display in a 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) triumph that ended three-time defending champion Djokovic’s 19-match winning streak in the first Masters tournament of the year.
Federer, who added another chapter to a storied rivalry with Nadal with an epic Australian Open triumph in January, dismantled the Spaniard 6-2, 6-3 to advance.
It was the first time since their first meeting in 2004 that Federer and Nadal had met before the quarter-finals of a tournament, and oddity of the rankings that had them and Djokovic – with 44 grand slam titles among the three of them – all grouped in the same quarter of the draw.
Djokovic was the first to fall, in the face of relentless aggression from world number 16 Kyrgios.
Kyrgios, 21, couldn’t match the 25 aces he rained on Djokovic in a shock win in Acapulco this month. But 14 aces were plenty as he kept Djokovic off-balance with a welter of 100mph-plus serves.
“He obviously comes out playing his style, very aggressive, and just going for every serve, whether it’s first or second,” Djokovic said. “It’s very hard to play like that.”
A break in the first game of the match was enough to give Kyrgios the opening set.
Djokovic saved to break points late in the second set as they battled to the tiebreaker which Kyrgios dominated, sealing the win, fittingly, with a final monster serve.
Kyrgios, already the youngest player to record victories over Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, now gets another crack at Federer, who needed just 68 minutes to dispatch Nadal.
Federer broke Nadal to open the match, and seized a second break and 4-1 with a blistering backhand service return winner.
A forehand volley sealed the set, and another forehand winner put Federer up a break at 2-1 in the second.
The win marks the first time in the rivalry that Federer has strung together three wins over Nadal.
He beat him in the final at Basel in 2015 and in an epic Australian Open final in January in their two most recent previous contests.
With attention focused on the loaded bottom quarter of the draw, fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan quietly booked his quarter-final berth with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over American Donald Young.
He’ll face American Jack Sock, who rallied for a 4-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-5 victory over Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri.
Spain’s Pablo Carreno-Busta beat Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) to set up a meeting with Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas, a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 winner over 11th-seeded Belgian David Goffin.