By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, April 4, 2016
"I don't see it as a rivalry, but I guess we're going to be playing a lot of big matches in the future, so in that case, yeah," said Nick Kyrgios of a potential rivalry with Alexander Zverev.
Photo credit: Hopman Cup
Novak Djokovic transformed the most challenging cross-country trek in tennis into another audacious victory lap.
The top seed completed the sunshine sweep of Indian Wells and Miami for the fourth time capturing his record 28th career Masters title with a straight-sets dismissal of Kei Nishikori.
The world No. 1 solidified his status as a champion without a real rival.
Watch: Eight Great Djokovic Moments
The American March Masters season also offered encouraging signs from two April-born players who could create the game's next great rivalry: Nick Kyrgios vs. Alexander Zverev.
The 20-year-old Kyrgios knocked off 12th-ranked Milos Raonic en route to his first Masters semifinal at the Miami Open weeks after Zverev held a match point against former No. 1 Rafael Nadal before bowing in Indian Wells.
"He's a clear possible future No. 1," Nadal said edging Zverev in Indian Wells. "He's an amazing player. He has all the shots. Very good physical performance. Tall, good serve, first and second, great shots from the baseline, forehand and backhand. He has everything to become big star and he's playing well."
Kyrgios opened the season sweeping Zverev in Hopman Cup in a match between two massive talents who shrink the court to Xbox proportions.
"I really like the kid; I think he's got a great future ahead," Kyrgios said of Zverev. "He's a great athlete for his size. He moves well and serves big. So I don't see it as a rivalry, but I guess we're going to be playing a lot of big matches in the future, so in that case, yeah (it's a future rivalry)."
The future is coming on fast.
Kyrgios' Miami run propelled him to a career-high ranking of No. 20 past Bernard Tomic as the new Aussie No. 1.
The 18-year-old Zverev has beaten several Top 30-ranked players this season, including Marin Cilic, Gilles Simon and Grigor Dimitrov and, like Kyrgios, he often brings his best against the best players.
Australia vs. Germany, Nike vs. Adidas, commanding server vs. deconstructive returner, swagger vs. swagger and together, enough gold chains between them to "create a Mr. T starter kit" as ESPN analyst Brad Gilbert put said of the aggressive baseliners.
Here are five reasons why Kyrgios-Zverev will emerge as one of the most volatile and fascinating rivalries in the game.
1. Massive Talents, Major Ambitions
Former junior world No. 1 players, junior Australian Open champions and junior Roger Federer fanatics have produced varied Grand Slam results. Advancing to the 2015 Australian Open quarterfinals, Kyrgios became the first teenager since Federer in 2001 to reach multiple Grand Slam quarterfinals. Zverev has exactly one Grand Slam win to his credit, at the 2015 Wimbledon, but he's played in only three majors and could make a push for his first Grand Slam seeding with a strong clay-court campaign. Both Zverev and Kyrgios have the athleticism, versatility and adaptability to excel on all surfaces.
2. Balance Off Both Wings
The 6-foot-6 German and 6-foot-4 Aussie both possess wide wing spans, are dangerous on the run and can snap jolting first strikes off both wings. Both unload with more power off the forehand, but the two-handed backhand is their more stable shot and both are skilled driving the two-hander down the line.
3. Holding Power
Authoritative serving make Zverev and Kyrgios threats against anyone. Both are in the Top 30 in service games held: Kyrgios is fifth (88 percent) and Zverev is 29th (81 percent). Kyrgios combines a quick-action snapping motion with masterful precision that makes his serve tough to read: He's fifth in the ace race on the ATP Tour. Zverev can create wicked angles from the slider serve on the deuce side to set up his first strike.
4. Explosive Games & Emotions
Take two shotmakers with a love of the big strike and a shared anti-authority streak and you've got the ingredients for combustible encounters. Both Zverev and Kyrgios keep an ongoing banter with their box and aren't afraid to challenge chair umpires over rulings or as a form of stress relief.
"He's very dangerous. He's done well in big tournaments already," Raonic said of Kyrgios. "I think he has a big, big amount of talent. It's about putting it together for him. He probably has one the bigger up sides in his group. There is probably Zverev up there with him. It's about putting it together and making it count week after week."
5. Room to Grow
Impulsive shot selection, inconsistent net play and an inclination toward griping and barking under stress are areas where both men can mature. Kyrgios possesses pretty good feel—he can use the one-handed slice approach, can create sharp angles and drop shots well off both wings—but tends to be a bit stiff and upright when volleying. The Aussie sometimes overplays the drop volley rather than staying low and using his legs as a base to drive volleys.
"Volleys are definitely one part of my game I need to improve," Kyrgios said. "Coming forward and transitioning is a big part that I've been working on for a long time now. It's good to see I'm actually using my legs on some volleys out there."
Zverev may well be haunted by the one volley he bricked on match point against Nadal—"I missed probably the easiest shot I had all match," Zverev said afterward. But he's shown the instincts to finish moving forward and if he can refine his net play, he'll add another formidable to an already imposing game.