Nick Kyrgios is seeking his first clay-court championship, but he snatched a major title in Madrid today: Top showman in tennis.
In Madrid's Magic Box, a creative Kyrgios pulled off one of the most astounding trick shots of the year.
Watch: Serena Returns in Rome, Sports New Look
Serving at 5-6, Kyrgios scraped backhand drop volley off the clay, spun to pursue a Kei Nishikori lob then pulled off this tweener lob magic
Tennis Channel analyst Justin Gimelstob called it "ridiculousness." Watch it here:
One of the coolest aspects of this shot: Kyrgios' reaction.
Channeling the audacity of Mansour Bahrami, the finesse of Ilie Nastase, the feel of John McEnroe and the theatrics of an aspiring Harlem Globetrotter, Kyrgios prevailed in an electric first set, 7-6 (6) that was a shotmakers shootout.
That brilliance wasn't enough to stop Kei Nishikori from carving out a 6-7 (6), 7-6 (1), 6-3 victory in a pulsating duel.
The sixth-seeded Nishikori will play Novak Djokovic in tomorrow's semifinals.
The world No. 1 converted all three break points in a 6-3, 6-4, quarterfinal dissection of Milos Raonic. Djokovic beat Raonic for the seventh time in as many meetings.
If you think you've seen Kyrgios play a similar shot from nearly the same spot of a different court, you have. Remember this one from his Australian Open match against Andy Murray.
Madrid's high-bounding altitude lends itself to shot-making theatrics as Rafael Nadal showed in the past.
Photo credit: Mutua Madrid Open