No. 23 seed Nick Kyrgios of Australia ousted top-seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (11), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday night to reach the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open in New York.
Kyrgios used 21 aces and 53 winners to dethrone the tournament’s defending champion in Medvedev, who also lost his hold on the world No. 1 ranking with the defeat.
“I’m just glad I’m finally able to show New York my talent,” Kyrgios said. “I’m really glad to show you guys the work and the dedication finally. Took me 27 years.”
The victory marked Kyrgios’ second win over Medvedev in 2022, making him the first player since 1987 to defeat the world No. 1 twice in the same year. He defeated Medvedev during the National Bank Open in Montreal last month.
Although he made history, Kyrgios did have a lapse in judgement during the third set when he left his side of the court, crossed the net and hit a ball in mid-air to lose a point.
“I still can’t believe the boneheaded play I made over here. I thought that was legal, to be honest. That’s going to be everywhere, on SportsCenter, so I’m gonna look like an idiot,” Kyrgios said. “That’s alright.”
Russian 27th seed Karen Khachanov also pulled off an upset in the nightcap, toppling 12th-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.
In other action, Italian 13th seed Matteo Berrettini smashed 18 aces to defeat Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. Berrettini will square off with fifth seed Casper Ruud of Norway, who advanced past French lucky loser Corentin Moutet 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-2 in their fourth-round match.
Berrettini needed three hours and 45 minutes to take down Davidovich Fokina, although the Italian held a 49-28 advantage in winners and won 61 of 73 first-service points (83.6 percent).
“I’m really proud because I didn’t start the match the way I wanted to,” Berrettini said in his on-court interview. “I was down a set and a break … and I found the right energy.
“I have to say I was a little bit tired in the fourth, and he was playing unbelievable tennis. So, I lost the fourth, and I was like, ‘OK, now I’m going to give everything.'”
Berrettini also saved nine of 13 break points while converting six of his 10 chances to break Davidovich Fokina’s serve.
The win put him into the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the second straight year. He missed the past two Grand Slam tournaments with a right hand injury that needed surgery and rehabilitation.
Ruud saved five of six break points and won 33 of his 44 net points (75 percent) to eliminate Moutet, who swept former world No. 3 Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland in the first round and upset No. 21 seed Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands in the second. It was the longest run for a U.S. Open lucky loser on record.
“Corentin is a very tricky player,” Ruud said. “He has all the shots, runs well. He can produce trick shots and everything. I really needed to stay focused and stay sharp and I was playing really well until I got broke back in the third, which was frustrating.”
–Field Level Media
