‘I want to go all the way’: Nick Kyrgios dethrones Daniil Medvedev to reach last eight of US Open | US Open Tennis 2022

Deep in the tie-break of one of the very best tennis matches of the year, Nick Kyrgios slammed his racquet and then yelled at his box, his face a picture of anger. He had saved three set points with some bold touches but scoring three of his own was crushed each time by Daniil Medvedev’s immense stamina.

It could all have gone wrong not so long ago, with an 11-11 tie break. But not these days. Under immense pressure, Kyrgios showcased his ball-hitting talent at its finest, following an explosive down-the-line backhand with a delicate drop-shot winner, a bold combination of shots that set the tone for what was to come.

In an intense, high-profile clash that felt so much bigger than a fourth-round encounter, 23rd seeded Kyrgios extended the biggest summer of his career as he beat defending champion and world No. 1 Medvedev at 7th : 6 defeated (13-6). 11), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to reach the US Open quarterfinals for the first time in his career. Kyrgios next meets Karen Khachanov, the 27th seed. “I want to go all the way and hopefully it’s possible,” he said.

It’s another step forward in a year that Kyrgios has learned to combine his talent with discipline in his game and off the pitch. Kyrgios is now 35-9 in 2022. He has won more games than any other player this summer and if he had gotten those 1,200 points from his Wimbledon final run, he would be in the top eight in the ATP race, just behind Medvedev himself.

When asked if he thought this win was the best of his career, Kyrgios shrugged. “Honestly, I feel rather proud of how I’ve recovered after everything,” he said. “I’ve been in some really difficult situations mentally and in some really scary places. So, yeah, obviously, looking at it on paper, I probably wasn’t expected to win that.

Despite the settlement in the fourth round and the seeding of Kyrgios, the clash featured the best player in the top half of the draw against the best in form player. Medvedev stayed right next to him for an hour, even though Kyrgios had played well. He infuriated Kyrgios with his defense and soaked up all of his pace, direction and spin changes. They traded breaks and then dueled into the depths of the first set’s tiebreak. But Kyrgios’ daring and that absurd drop shot made all the difference.

By the end of the first set, they had accumulated 44 winners and just 20 unforced errors. However, the challenge was to maintain this level. Kyrgios’ level dropped sharply early in the second set as he opened it with a terrible hold at love and Medvedev marched through the set.

Medvedev congratulates Kyrgios on the net. Photo: Adam Hunger/`

For all the quality Ashe has shown, there was also a moment of silliness. At 1-0, 30-30 on Medvedev’s serve in the third set, Medvedev couldn’t control a searing pass shot from Kyrgios, the ball hit his racquet and flew into the air. Kyrgios celebrated by sprinting to Medvedev’s side of the pitch and slinging the ball in celebration, a grin on his face. Because Kyrgios hit the ball before it bounced off, Medvedev got the point. “It’s going to be all over SportsCenter, so I’m going to look like an idiot, but that’s okay,” he said, smiling.

What could have been a crucial misjudgment was just a small detour on the way to victory. Two games later, Kyrgios played his best return leg of the game, easily breaking the Russian’s serve to take a third-set lead. Instead of Medvedev, it was Kyrgios who maintained his supremely high level from that point to the end, methodically tearing Medvedev apart with top-notch serve and return and consistently unbalancing the defending champion.

Medvedev had come to the US Open with a target on his back while his form had waned in the year since his US Open triumph. His title defense may have come early, but he didn’t play badly in the end, committing just 19 unforced errors in four sets. “It was a high-level match. Played Novak, Rafa. They all play fantastic. I think Nick played at their level today,” he said.

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With Medvedev’s loss, he will be replaced at No. 1 by either Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz or Casper Ruud. Kyrgios, on the other hand, had never played well in New York and his best result so far, a third-round finish, was a source of frustration for him. Now he is the clear favorite in his first US Open quarterfinals.

“I hadn’t won a match on Ashe before this week, now I’ve won two against two quality opponents,” he said. “I have the feeling that I was able to present myself. There are many celebrities here, many important people are watching. I wanted to get on that pitch and show them that I’m capable of putting my head down and playing these big games and winning.”

Kyrgios started this North American swing by talking about how excited he was for his end when he could fly home and reunite his family. Once again he has postponed his departure.

“We’ve got to try and just keep it up and keep pushing each other to keep staying positive,” he said. “We know we’re going home next week. But maybe three more matches, then we’ll never have to play tennis again.”