IN what could turn out to be a career-defining fortnight, Nick Kyrgios has produced another stunning performance to oust Novak Djokovic for the second straight tournament.
A week after upsetting the world No.2 in straight sets at Acapulco, 21-year-old Australian Kyrgios backed it up with a stellar 6-4 7-6 triumph in the Indian Wells Masters fourth round on Thursday (AEDT).
The victory, built on another brilliant display of serving (14 aces, 86 per cent of first serve points won) sets up a last eight showdown with another legend of the game. Kyrgios will face either idol Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal next in what’s been dubbed “the toughest draw in history”.
Kyrgios improves his career record against top ten players to 12-17 and joins an exclusive club in beating 12-time grand slam winner Djokovic — one of the most consistent players in this history of the sport — back-to-back.
Kyrgios returns a shot to Novak Djokovic.Source:AP
THE DJOKER DOUBLE
Kyrgios is now 2-0 against one of the best players to pick up a racquet. Incredibly, he hasn’t even faced a break point in two matches against the world’s best returner.
The Australian is the first player in five years to defeat Djokovic twice in back-to-back tournaments but the remarkable numbers don’t end there. He also becomes:
– The seventh player to beat him back-to-back since turning pro — Nadal (three times), Federer (twice), Andy Murray (once), Tommy Haas (once), Fernando Verdasco (once), Mikhail Youzhny (once)
– The first player to beat him back-to-back on hardcourts since Federer (Cincinnati and US Open) in 2009
– The third player to beat him in straight sets in back-to-back tournaments – Federer in 2009, Murray in 2008
* Nadal is the only player to have knocked him out of three straight tournaments (2008)
Players to have beaten Novak Djokovic back-to-back
2012
Rafael Nadal – Rome and Roland Garros
2010
Roger Federer – Basel and Shanghai
Fernando Verdasco – Monte Carlo and Rome
2009
Roger Federer – Cincinnati and US Open
Tommy Haas – Halle and Wimbledon
Rafael Nadal – Monte Carlo and Rome
2008
Andy Murray – Cincinnati and Toronto
Rafael Nadal – Queen’s, Roland Garros and Hamburg
2007
Mikhail Youzhny – Marseilles and Rotterdam
Blow ups and brilliance by Nick Kyrgios at Indian Wells1:36
Tennis: Blow ups & brilliance by Nick
HEAD-TO-HEAD vs FEDERER AND NADAL
Federer and Nadal face off later on Thursday and Kyrgios will hold no fear against whichever legend he faces in the quarters, having beaten both at his first attempt.
Kyrgios’ only meeting against Federer ended in an epic 6-7 (7-1), 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (14-12) win on clay at the 2015 Madrid Masters.
He scored a famous 7-6 (7-5) 5-7 7-5 (7-5) 6-3 fourth round win over Rafael Nadael at Wimbledon in 2014 before Nadal turned the tables in a 6-7 (7-3) 6-2 6-4 win on clay in Rome last year.
Absolutely full credit to Nick Kyrgios he was the better player vs Djoker,his ability to take the stick out of your hands is off the charts
— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) March 16, 2017
KYRGIOS’ CAREER WINS vs TOP TEN OPPONENTS
2017
Novak Djokovic (2) 6-4 7-6 – Indian Wells, QF
Novak Djokovic (2) 7-6 (11-9) 7-5 – Acapulco, QF
2016
Gael Monfils (8) 6-4 6-4 – Tokyo, SF
Milos Raonic (10) 7-6 6-3 – Rome, R32
Stan Wawrinka (4) 7-6, 7-6 – Madrid, R32
Tomas Berdych (7) 6-4 6-4 – Dubai, QF
Tomas Berdych (8) 6-4 6-2 – Marseille, SF
Richard Gasquet (10) 6-0 6-4 – Marseille, QF
2015
Stan Wawrinka (5) 6-7 6-3 4-0 RET – Montreal, R32
Milos Raonic (8) 5-7 7-5 7-6 6-3 – Wimbledon, R32
Roger Federer (2) 6-7 7-6 7-6 – Madrid, R32
2014
Rafael Nadal (1) 7-6 5-7 7-6 6-3 – Wimbledon, R16
Novak Djokovic returns a shot to Nick Kyrgios.Source:AP
WHAT IT MEANS FOR KYRGIOS’ RANKING
Kyrgios reached a career-high ranking of 13 last October but he slipped to 17th after a disappointing Australian summer. He’s since moved back up to 16th and while his second straight win over Djokovic doesn’t guarantee any rankings moves, it closes the points gap considerably on those above him.
If Djokovic defeats Federer or Nadal to make the semis he’ll climb to at least 15th. Reaching the final would likely take him 14th while winning it could move him to a career-high ranking of 12th.
Djokovic remains world No.2, well ahead of Stan Wawrinka in third, but this loss is a major blow to his hopes of closing the gap on top-ranked Andy Murray.
DJOKOVIC’S DECLINE
The result continued Djokovic’s decline over the past 12 months.
The Serb amassed a startling 44-3 record from the beginning of 2016 to the end of the French Open, including six tournament victories.
Since then, he has managed a rather more modest 33-9 – including a 12-3 record in 2017.
Djokovic’s losses in 2017 included a shock second round exit to world No. 117 Denis Istomin in the second round at the Australian Open.
MORE TO COME
Originally published as Back-to-back! Kyrgios destroys Djoker again
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