Russian Daniil Medvedev said Nick Kyrgios played on par with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on Sunday, as the Australian beat his title defense 7-6 (11), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the fourth round of the US Open.
The nimble, hard-working Medvedev got his ticket to the Wimbledon final through to the third set, where he lost all momentum and will now lose his world number one spot in his worst performance at the New York hard courts. since 2018.
But if he was embarrassed by the match in front of a packed crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Medvedev barely showed it, comparing Kyrgios to his former US Open final rivals. England, the 22 and 21-time Grand Slam winners are Nadal and Djokovic.
“It was a high level game. Play Novak, Rafa. All played great. Nick played at their level today, in my opinion. He has a slightly different game because he is not like a grinder in a way. At the same time, he can regroup,” said Prime Minister Medvedev. “He is difficult to play. He has an incredible serve.”
The 26-year-old reached this year’s Australian Open final and advanced to the semi-finals in the Cincinnati wave but there was a big sign of trouble in the game to New York, when Kyrgios knocked him out of the table. opened the scoring in his Montreal.
“If he plays like that until the end of the tournament, he has every chance to win,” Medvedev said.
“But he’s going to have tough opponents, so it’s uncertain.”
And while Kyrgios’ form is as cold as ice, Medvedev said another factor may have added to the chill: Americans tend to overuse their air conditioners.
“I feel a little sick today. I mean, the problem is that in the US, I definitely got sick once during the game because the AC was crazy,” he told reporters.
“Today I feel a little sore in my throat. I think the physical can play a small role. At the same time, it’s not an excuse at all because Nick played well.”
