Australia’s Nick Kyrgios on Friday thrashed new world No. 1 Rafael Nadal 6-2, 7-5, winning twice in one day to reach the Western & Southern semi-finals in Cincinnati, while Taiwanese face each other in the women’s doubles final early today.
As defending champion Karolina Pliskova won twice in one day for the third time this season to tighten her grip on the world No. 1 ranking, Kyrgios stole the show by overpowering the 15-time Grand Slam champion after each had won earlier.
“A kid playing Nadal on center court, that’s where your best has to come out,” Kyrgios said. “Performance like today, I’m seeing progress.”
Photo: EPA
Kyrgios, ranked 23rd, faces Spain’s David Ferrer for a finals berth. Bulgaria’s 11th-ranked Grigor Dimitrov was to play John Isner of the US in yesterday’s other semi-final.
Nadal, who won his 10th French Open title in June, on Monday was assured of moving into the top ranking for the first time since July 2014 when Roger Federer withdrew from Cincinnati with a back injury.
Kyrgios was up a double break in 10 minutes, seizing the chance to make a between-the-legs showoff shot on his way to a 4-0 lead, drawing boos from the crowd.
Photo: AFP
“I was just doing it for a gag,” Kyrgios said. “I just felt like doing it. My friends who were watching were laughing so they liked it I guess.”
He took the first set in 25 minutes, dropping only three points on his serve, then broke Nadal in the fifth game of the second set.
The Australian served for the match in the 10th game, but double faulted on his third match point and Nadal broke back.
“I had the match on my racket and tightened up,” Kyrgios said.
However, the 22-year-old broke again to lead 6-5 and this time end matters with his 10th ace after 80 minutes, improving to 2-2 all-time against the 31-year-old Spaniard.
“I started the match very low and I played a very bad game in the second set when he break me,” Nadal said. “I was able to get some points and get back in the match but then I played a terrible game. It was a bad match for me. Congrats to him.”
Nadal took only 6-of-20 second-serve points and won only five off his foe’s first serve.
“No excuses. Nothing at all,” Nadal said. “If I don’t play well I can’t win against a player like Nick.”
Earlier, Kyrgios defeated Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 and Nadal downed compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-6 (7/1), 6-2 in rain-postponed matches.
Ferrer upset Austria’s eighth-ranked Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-3, while Isner fired 25 aces in beating US wild card Jared Donaldson 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 and Dimitrov downed Japan’s Yuichi Sugita 6-2, 6-1.
Pliskova, fighting to hold off Romania’s Simona Halep atop the rankings, first ousted Italian qualifier Camila Giorgi 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 in a rain-postponed match.
With only two hours between matches, the 25-year-old Czech defeated Denmark’s fifth-ranked Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-4 to book a semi-final against Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza.
“I feel pretty good,” Pliskova said.
“I recover well, so definitely I will be ready,” she added.
Halep eliminated British seventh seed Johanna Konta 6-4, 7-6 (7/1) to book a semi-final date with US wild card Sloane Stephens.
In the women’s doubles, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei also played two matches, winning both.
Hsieh and partner Monica Niculescu of Romania defeated the Ukraine duo of Lyudmyla Kichenok and Lesia Tsurenko 6-2, 7-5 in the quarter-finals and then moved into the final with a 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) win over India’s Sania Mirza and Peng Shuai of China.
They face Chan Yung-jan and Martina Hingis of Switzerland in the final after they beat Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 in their semi.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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