Belief is crucial in beating Rafa Nadal, but there's a long way from believing it to being able to execute it. Nick Kyrgios found a shortcut when he stunned the world No.1 to advance to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal on his Wimbledon main draw debut.
The Aussie young gun has had a stellar juniors career—in 2013 he won the Australian Open singles title and the Wimbledon doubles crown with compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis—and at 19 years old, he showed he is ready to take on the biggest aces of the game. Although a two-time champion, Rafa has found it difficult to transition from clay to grass-courts lately. You'd think that last year's stunning first-round defeat to Oliver Rochus would require revenge, but the Spaniard failed to impress en route to the fourth round. Kyrgios, who famously saved nine match points against Frenchman Richard Gasquet, took full advantage of his opponent's poor form. He delivered a killer performance and won the match 7-6,5-7,7-6,6-3.
"I think I was in a bit of a zone out there," Kyrgios told BBC television. "It hasn't sunk in what just played out out there. I played extraordinary tennis. I was struggling a bit on return, but I worked my way into it. I served at a really good level and I'm really happy.
"You've got to believe you can win the match from the start and I did. I'm playing unbelievable tennis on the grass. He hit extraordinary shots, but he's always going to bring that."
While the recently crowned French Open champion is left to heal his wounds, the Aussie teenager is enjoying his overnight stardom. He goes on to battle another rising star, Canadian Milos Raonic.
Kyrgios has the game to go very far. Plus, he proved he has the mental strength to battle in the grown-ups league. It remains to be seen how well he will cope with his new-found status as the Aussie golden kid. While Lleyton Hewitt did a brilliant job, winning two Grand Slams and reaching world No.1, bad boy Bernand Tomic has yet to fulfill the promise. Hopefully Nick will fare better! He has great pedigree and huge potential.
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| Young sensation Nick Kyrgios proved you need strong belief to take down the big guns. The Aussie teenager produced the performance of his career, stunning world No.1 and recently crown French Open champ, Rafael Nadal, 7-6,5-7,7-6,6-3 to reach his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal. |
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