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By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, July 6, 2022

 
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World No. 40 Nick Kyrgios scored a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(5) triumph over Cristian Garin driving into his first major semifinal at Wimbledon.

Photo credit: Getty

Talk is cheap—and Nick Kygrios’ compulsive chatter can cost and kick start him.

The 40th-ranked Kyrgios continues to back up his bold words with audacious action.

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A dynamic Kyrgios delivered a declarative 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(5) triumph over Cristian Garin driving into his first major semifinal at Wimbledon.

Eight years after Kyrgios fell in his maiden Wimbledon quarterfinal, he rose up on pressure points saving seven of eight break points and pumping 11 aces for the biggest win of his career.




It’s a monumental victory for Kyrgios, who is the first Aussie man since his former Davis Cup captain, Lleyton Hewitt in 2005, to reach the final four at Wimbledon.

The man with the wrecking ball serve and sculptor’s feel is now one win from reaching the Wimbledon final. Kyrgios will play 22-time Grand Slam king Rafael Nadal for a place in Sunday's final.

The second-seeded Nadal out-dueled American Taylor Fritz 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(4) in a four hour, 21-minute marathon match on Centre Court that saw the Spanish superstar scored his 19th consecutive major win despite an abdominal issue.

"First thing I hope to be ready to play, that’s the first thing," Nadal said. "Then Nick is a great player especially here on grass. I need to be at my 100 percent to have chances."

Kyrgios raised his 2022 grass-record to an ATP-best 12-2 becoming the lowest-ranked men’s semifinalist and first unseeded men’s semifinalist at Wimbledon since 2008, when No. 75 Marat Safin and No. 94 Rainer Schuettler both reached the final four.

Afterward, a candid Kyrgios conceded he didn’t think this major moment would ever come.

“I never thought I’d be at a semifinal of a Grand Slam,” Kyrgios said in his on-court interview. “Honestly, I thought my shipped had sailed.

“Obviously, I didn’t go about things great early in my career and may have wasted that little window. But I’m really proud of the way I’ve just come back out here with my team.”




The 27-year-old Aussie took No. 1 Court clouded in controversy.

Yesterday, Australian authorities announced Kyrgios will be charged with one count of assault when he appears in court on August 2nd. Kyrgios is facing the assault charge stemming from an incident last December when he allegedly grabbed ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari during an argument.

"Obviously seeing it—I'm only human," Kyrgios said. "Obviously I read about it and obviously everyone else was asking questions. It was hard. It was hard to kind of just focus on kind of the mission at hand.

"It was quarterfinals of Wimbledon today. I know deep down that's what I was prepared for."

The pending charge is the latest issue Kyrgios confronts during an eventual trip to London.

King of chaos Kyrgios navigated a wild week one that saw him spit toward a taunting fan after his five-set win over British wild card Paul Jubb, incur a fine for a series of F-bombs he dropped in his third-round upset of Stefanos Tsitsipas, get called out as “a bully” with “an evil side” by the Greek, violate the tournament’s dress code role and admit he tanked his final service game to cede the fourth-set of his five-set win over Brandon Nakashima.

While Kyrgios sometimes seems to thrive creating a circus, his five-set win over Nakashima and today’s sweep of the gritty Garin shows Kyrgios can be just as dangerous when he plays it straight and cuts the side-show antics.

The unique Kyrgios combination of volatility, versatility and unpredictability makes him an unsettling opponent and nearly un-coachable competitor. Throughout this fortnight, Kyrgios has proven to be shrewd problem solver.

“I don’t have a coach—I would never put that burden on someone,” Kyrgios said. :Each and every one of my team plays a very important role. I feel like no one knows my tennis better than I do. I’ve been playing this sport since age seven and to be in the semifinals of a Grand Slam I’m pretty happy.”

Garin saved a break point holding his first service game of the second set with a shout.

Explosiveness is an edge Kyrgios has over most players. Garin attempted to build points, while Kyrios blew them up.

Detonating a diagonal forehand winner helped Kyrgios earn triple break point in the fourth game. Garin again tried to exploit the Aussie’s forward movement with a dropper and again paid the price as Kyrgios caught up to the ball and flicked a soft dipping pass the Chilean netted breaking for 3-1.

Dodging break point, Kyrgios slammed his ninth ace confirming the break for a 4-1 second-set lead.

A calm Kyrgios cranked a twisting serve winner down the T seizing a two-set lead after only 75 minutes of play.

As the third set progressed, Garin was thumping his forehand with more vigor and playing with plenty of positive emotion.

Tennis Express

Serving at 5-6, Kyrgios made a slick half volley pick-up from the baseline holding with pure touch to force the tiebreaker.

Opening the tiebreaker with magic touch, Kyrgios bamboozled Garin with a dropper earning the mini-break. The Chilean came back cracking a return deep down the middle drawing a shanked response to level at 3-all.

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Playing an off-pace mid-court ball, Garin caught a break when Kyrgios ballooned a routine forehand long, going up 5-3.

"Honestly I felt I was playing on the back foot a lot," Kyrgios said. "He’s a hell of a player. A hell of a tournament for him to make the quarterfinals.

"A couple of break points here or there could have easily been him standing here so I’ll just take that and prepare for my next match."

The 43rd-ranked Garin, who rallied from two sets down to defeat feisty Aussie Alex de Minaur in the fourth round, had all the momentum. The Chilean had a good look at a running forehand pass but skipped his forehand off the tape and it fluttered wide. Had he made it, Garin would have held set point. Instead, Kyrgios was back even at 5-5.

Slashing a pair of forehands inside the baseline, Kyrgios stood his ground at net block back backhand volleys as he earned match point for 6-5.

Garin steered a backhand down the line wide and Kyrgios collapsed to the court lying flat on his back to absorb the moment . When Kyrgios arose he offered the muted celebration of a man who believes he has more work ahead.

 

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