Wimbledon has seen many sides to Nick Kygrios over the past fortnight, from the rough to the sublime, but as he reached his first Grand Slam semi-final with a victory that was rarely as comfortable as the 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 scoreline , the Australian offered a new side to his complex character: humility.
“I thought my ship had sailed,” he admitted after defeating Chile’s Cristian Garin. “I didn’t handle things well at the beginning of my career.” When it was suggested that he was in control, Kygrios shook his head. “I felt like I was playing on the back foot a lot,” he replied. “I got lucky on a few break points. I’ll take that.
Nick Kyrgios drops for a low ball. Photo: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
This being Kyrgios, there was rarely five minutes that went by where he wasn’t frustrated with his box or annoyed with the crowd. He asked his team for more on several occasions, even though they kept clapping. Yet he found a way to win again.
“I don’t have a coach, I would never put that burden on someone,” he admitted afterward. “Everybody in my team plays a part, but nobody knows my game better than me. I’ve been playing this sport since I was seven, so it’s great to get to the semi-finals of a Grand Slam.”
Kyrgios is due to stand trial in Australia next month after being summoned to face charges of assaulting an ex-girlfriend. However, he retained the support of the majority of the Court One audience.
However, the match could hardly have started worse for him. Kyrgios’ serve is one of the most powerful in the match. Yet his Chilean opponent immediately rattled a forehand winner past him and then another to break to love. Garin was then holding on for 2-0, with Kyrgios looking visibly flustered.
“Come on Kiggs!” his team called from the stands. “Don’t say that,” he replied before asking for more energy from those in his box. But after finally getting on the board after two aces – at 126 and 131mph – he then broke to make it 3-3 before breaking again to take the set.
Since then, the match has become almost as exhausting for Kyrgios’ entourage as it has been for him. Because after every point, win or lose, they had to stand up to applaud their man before squatting back in their seats. Up and down and up, they nodded their heads urging him on.
Kyrgios’ body may feel a little sore when he wakes up tomorrow. But so, as you imagine, will be the feet of his father Georgios and sister Halimah, along with manager Daniel Horsfall, personal physio Will Maher and girlfriend Costin Hatzi.
After an early break in the second set, Garin’s legs started to look a little heavy, the legacy of his epic five-setter over Alex De Minaur, and it would have been easy for him to drop. Instead, he came close to breaking at 1-3 and 2-4 – with Kyrgios serving.
In the third set, Garin improved again – hitting 13 winners to one unforced error – a double fault – as the set went to a tiebreak. He played better tennis. However, Kyrgios’ serve was proving the great equaliser.
It all looked over when Kyrgios got a mini-break to take a 2-0 lead in the tiebreak. But there was another twist as Garin won five of the next six points to take a 5-3 lead. However, the Chilean then hit a forehand on his serve and missed a passing shot, and Kygrios was able to take advantage – and advance.
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