Cincinnati: Australia’s Nick Kyrgios humbled new World No.1 Rafael Nadal 6-2, 7-5, winning twice in one day to reach the Cincinnati Masters tennis tournament semifinals here Friday.
On a day when 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.
The 22-year-old from Canberra 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.
Kyrgios, ranked 23rd, took the first set in 25 minutes, dropping only three points on his serve. Nadal netted a forehand to surrender a break and a 3-2 lead to Kyrgios in the second set. The Aussie served for the match in the 10th game but double faulted on his third match point and Nadal had new life, screaming, ‘Come On’.
But Kyrgios broke again to lead 6-5 and this time end matters with his 10th ace after 80 minutes to book a Saturday date with Spain’s David Ferrer. Bulgaria’s 11th-ranked Grigor Dimitrov plays America John Isner in the other semifinal.
Earlier in the day, 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.
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 one of five matches postponed from Thursday due to rain.
With only two hours between matches, the 25-year-old Czech then defeated Denmark’s fifth-ranked Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-4 to book a Saturday semifinal against Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza. “I feel pretty good,” Pliskova said. “I recover well, so definitely I will be ready for tomorrow.”
Second-ranked Halep eliminated British seventh seed Johanna Konta 6-4, 7-6 (7/1) to book a semifinal date with US wildcard Sloane Stephens.
“Whatever comes I will just take it,” said Pliskova. “Even if I would be second coming to the US Open, it’s still better than I was last year. So no pressure about being World No.1.”
Nadal, who won his 10th French Open title in June, was assured of moving into the top ranking on Monday for the first time since July 2014 when Roger Federer withdrew from Cincinnati with a back injury.
Nadal and Ramos-Vinolas wore black ribbons on their shirts in memory of victims of the terror attack Thursday in Barcelona.
“What happened in Barcelona was, of course, terrible. Everyone is very, very sad. I don’t have words to say, because when these kind of things happen, is difficult,” Nadal said.
Sixth-ranked Spaniard Muguruza, wearing a black ribbon on her visor, ousted Russian eighth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 5-7, 7-5
Important results
Nick Kyrgios bt Rafa Nadal 6-2, 7-5
David Ferrer bt Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-3
John Isner bt Jared Donaldson 7-6 (7/4), 7-5
Grigor Dimitrov bt Yuichi Sugita 6-2, 6-1
agence france-presse
