By Alberto Amalfi | Thursday, February 25, 2016
Nick Kyrgios hit 10 aces, sweeping Tomas Berdych, 6-4, 6-4, to score his eighth straight win and reach the Dubai semifinals.
Photo credit: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Nick Kyrgios continues to treat Top 10 opponents with buzz-kill efficiency.
Kyrgios blasted past third-seeded Tomas Berdych, 6-4, 6-4 —his second win over the Czech in the last week —to storm into the Dubai semifinals.
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The 20-year-old Kyrgios extended his winning streak to eight matches.
Fresh off his first career title in Marseille last week where he did not drop serve in five matches, Kyrgios cracked 10 aces and saved all four break points he faced against the world No. 7.
The 33rd-ranked Aussie ended the match with an ace.
Kyrgios advanced to his second semifinal and a blockbuster showdown with Stan Wawrinka.
The reigning Roland Garros champion defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber, 7-5, 6-1, setting up a potential grudge match with Kyrgios for a spot in the final.
This will be their first meeting since Kyrgios fired the sledge heard round the world when he made a crude comment about WTA pro Donna Vekic, who is Wawrinka's girlfriend, during his Montreal match with Wawrinka. Kyrgios prevailed that day as Wawrinka retired in the third set and though the pair were briefly IPTL teammates during the offseason, they haven't completely settled their differences.
That could ratchet up the intensity significantly when they square off in the semifinals.
Former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis reeled off 10 of the last 11 games routing Roberto Bautista Agut, 7-5, 6-0, in 96 minutes to reach his first semifinal of the season.
The fourth-seeded Spaniard carried a 16-3 record into this quarterfinal, but Bautista Agut completely imploded in the second set. Baghdatis won 14 of 21 points played on Bautista Agut's serve in the second set.
When the 57th-ranked Cypriot broke for a 3-0 second-set lead, Bautista Agut smashed his racquet in frustration. Baghdatis broke again for 5-0 and closed a 26-minute second set with an ace down the middle that Bautista Agut conceded.
It is Baghdatis' first semifinal since Stockholm last October and comes six years after he last reached the Dubai final four.
Baghdatis will face either world No. 1 Novak Djokovic or two-time former Dubai finalist Feliciano Lopez for a place in the final.