By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, February 26, 2016
Stan Wawrinka led 6-4, 3-0 when Nick Kyrgios retired from their Dubai semifinal with a strained back after 44 minutes of play.
Photo credit: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
The rematch was a mismatch.
Six months after Nick Kyrgios fired the sledge heard round the world during his controversial clash with Stan Wawrinka in Montreal, the once feuding pair faced off again today in Dubai.
Riding an eight-match winning streak into the semifinal, Kyrgios was compromised by a creaky back and cranky hip and the rematch never caught fire.
Watch: Kyrgios Hot Dogs Smash
Wawrinka burst out to a 4-1 lead and had broken serve five times building a 6-4, 3-0 lead when a hobbled Kyrgios tapped out after 44 minutes.
"Even though it was a strange match today, I think I was playing better than yesterday," Wawrinka said. "It's a final so hopefully I can play my best tennis."
The second-seeded Swiss advanced to the Dubai final where he will face former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis. The 30-year-old Cypriot defeated sixth-seeded Feliciano Lopez, 3-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1.
The 30-year-old Wawrinka, who beat Borna Coric to defend his Chennai title last month, raised his record to 12-2 on the season.
Kyrgios and Wawrinka were IPTL teammates during the offseason, but there seemed to have been little thaw in a frosty relationship since Kyrgios' crude comment about Donna Vekic, Wawrinka's girlfriend, was picked up by court-side microphones in a moment that went viral.
During the coin toss today there was little eye contact between them: Wawrinka stretched in deep lunges while Kyrgios stood still arms behind his back. By the end, they seemed to reach a respectful truce.
Fresh off his first title in Marseille last week where he made history as the first man in the Open Era to win his first ATP championship without surrendering serve, Kyrgios looked stiff, lacked explosive movement and tried to shorten points.
Trailing 15-40 minutes into the match, Kyrgios replied with meancing power. Rifling two aces down the T, he erased both break points then fired a third ace to hold in the opening game.
Two games later, the 20-year-old was in trouble again. He spun a forehand sitter wide and double faulted to donate the break and a 2-1 lead.
A confident Wawrinka consolidated with a two ace game then broke again at 15 for a double-break, 4-1 lead. Kyrgios, whose movement appeared restricted, clutched at his lower back at times and played closer to the lines.
Out of nowhere, Wawrinka played a sloppy sixth game to drop serve. Kyrgios, who had won just two of 10 second-serve points by then, thumped his fifth ace holding for 3-4.
During the ensuing changeover, Kyrgios received deep massage on his back and hip from the trainer. He returned to play after a four-minute break and seemed to be moving better, but it would not last.
The pair traded breaks with Kyrgios converting his third break point to level only to play some wild shots where sluggish footwork did not match his ambition.
Wawrinka broke for the third time for 5-4, sparking a run of five straight games.
Kyrgios is expected to be named a singles starter by captain Lleyton Hewitt when Australia hosts the United States in next weekend's Davis Cup opener in Kooyong and was in no mood to push through the back issue and risk aggravating the injury. The 33rd-ranked Aussie appeared to capitulate with a dispirited drop shot to surrender serve at the start of the second set.
Wawrinka, who had retired from their Montreal meeting with a back strain, wisely played deep shots to keep Kyrgios in discomfort. Reduced to spinning in some 90 mph serves, Kyrgios dropped serve at love then pulled the plug.
The pair shared a respectful handshake with Wawrinka patting his younger opponent on the shoulder. After the match, Kyrgios sent out a truce tweet congratulating Wawrinka on the win.
The fourth-ranked Wawrinka will play for his 13th career title tomorrow. Wawrinka is 5-0 lifetime vs. Baghdatis, who is playing for his first tournament title since the 2010 Sydney.
Today's rematch was more fizzle than sizzle, but when Wawrinka and Kyrgios are both at full strength this rivalry has the potential to erupt as both are explosive shot-makers.