Kyrgios Wins Thriller Over Federer in Madrid

May 6, 2015 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Kyrgios_Crop_01
Photo credit: Calvin Rhoden

In one of the most compelling matches of the 2015 season so far, young Australian Nick Kyrgios dueled with world number two Roger Federer in a thrilling three set affair at the Mutua Madrid Open on Wednesday.

Kyrgios saved two match points in a final third-set tiebreaker, edging Federer 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 7-6(12) to reach the Madrid third-round.

The two exchanged points for the majority of the third-set breaker, with each saving a couple of match points to keep the contest going. It was the 20-year-old Kyrgios who would come out on top to nail down his second career top 10 win.

He will play 16th-seeded American John Isner in the third-round. Isner moved past Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci 7-6(5), 6-7(11), 6-1 on Wednesday to advance.

Four-time champion Rafael Nadal rolled into the third-round, getting past American Steve Johnson 6-4, 6-3. He lost just 10 service points in the match.

“I went out there to do a simple game with no complications,” said Nadal. “I tried to play easily. I know how things work out when you come from losing a couple of matches. I know that you’re a little bit nervous whenever you finish a game, as I finished the other day with Fognini in Barcelona.”

Nadal is still trying to find his top form as he gears up for the tournament he has dominated for so long, the French Open.

In the Madrid third-round, Nadal will take on Italian Simone Bolelli, who took out compatriot Luca Vanni 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Fognini lost his match on Wednesday to 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov. The Bulgarian came back from a set down to beat the Italian 3-6, 6-2, 7-5. Dimitrov will play eighth-seeded Swiss Stan Wawrinka next.

The 12th-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga took out American Jack Sock 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(4), setting up a matchup with sixth-seed Tomas Berdych. The Czech moved past Richard Gasquet in straight sets 7-6(3), 7-5 to advance.

Other winners on Wednesday included: Seventh-seeded David Ferrer, 14th-seed Roberto Bautista-Agut, Fernando Verdasco and Leonardo Mayer.


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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