Continuing our annual season-in-review sequence, ATPTour.com revisits the most important rivalries of 2022. Today we function Daniil Medvedev vs. Nick Kyrgios.
Big serving, large forehands and no scarcity of outrageous shotmaking. There are few higher spectacles on the ATP Tour than a free-hitting showdown between Daniil Medvedev and Nick Kyrgios.
After three years and not using a tour-level assembly, followers have been handled to 3 installments of the Medvedev-Kyrgios rivalry in 2022. While Medvedev notched a formidable victory on the Australian Open, it was Kyrgios who secured bragging rights for the season with a pair of hard-fought wins on North American laborious courts, in Montreal and on the US Open.
At the top of a yr through which Medvedev rose to World No. 1 for the primary time and a rejuvenated Kyrgios put collectively among the finest outcomes of his profession, ATPTour.com appears to be like again on how one of many Tour’s blockbuster rivalries performed out in 2022.
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Australian Open, Second Round, Medvedev d. Kyrgios 7-6(1), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
The 2022 Grand Slam motion was simply 4 days outdated when Medvedev and Kyrgios collided in a heavyweight second-round conflict at January’s Australian Open.
For the primary half of the match it appeared that second-seeded Medvedev was on observe to assert his first victory in three makes an attempt in opposition to the Australian in fashion. His top-quality return recreation helped him declare the primary two units on Rod Laver Arena, however Kyrgios roused the house followers with some sometimes majestic shotmaking en path to the third.
“I believed the environment was superior,” Kyrgios later mentioned. “That’s what sport is. You’ve acquired probably the most entertaining participant taking part in in his residence slam on Rod Laver. You’d count on the gang to be like that.”
Photo Credit: William West/AFP by way of Getty Images
Those constructive vibes couldn’t carry Kyrgios to a well-known comeback win, nonetheless, as Medvedev slammed the door shut on the Australian in scientific trend by breaking twice within the fourth set to seal a two-hour, 58-minute win.
“I got here to win this match and I’m blissful I managed to do it,” mentioned Medvedev. “It was a humorous match as a result of we each served massive. In the second and fourth units I managed to return a bit bit extra on the essential moments.”
Despite the defeat, Kyrgios was pleased with how he had carried out in opposition to eventual finalist Medvedev in simply his second aggressive match in 4 months.
“No matter how little I prepare or how a lot I play, I’ll at all times raise for matches like this,” mentioned the Australian. “I’m not going to draw back from it… If I play 95 per cent of individuals tonight on that courtroom, I believe I win, to be sincere with you.”
National Bank Open Presented by Rogers, Second Round, Kyrgios d. Medvedev 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-2
In distinction to the assembly in Melbourne, Kyrgios arrived at August’s National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Montreal amid a red-hot run of kind that had seen the Australian attain his maiden Grand Slam ultimate at Wimbledon and raise his seventh ATP Tour crown in Washington.
That confidence was plain to see in opposition to World No. 1 and defending champion Medvedev within the second spherical in Canada, the place the 27-year-old Australian remained unbroken all through a two-hour encounter for his 14th win in 15 tour-level matches.
“This is the fourth assembly we’ve had, and I’ve had some success in opposition to him previously,” mentioned Kyrgios after the match. “But he’s overwhelmed me earlier than [as well]. I really feel like we all know one another’s video games nicely. I’m not the kind of participant that goes into this match taking a look at rankings or something like that, it’s simply who I’m taking part in and what sort of ball they’re giving me.”
Kyrgios’ determination to incessantly deploy serve-and-volley techniques in opposition to an opponent famend for his deep positioning on return paid off in Montreal. The Australian gained 67 per cent (32/48) of factors on the web to assert his second win in opposition to a reigning World No. 1, after his 2014 Wimbledon win in opposition to Rafael Nadal.
“Today I had a really clear goal of how I used to be going to play, lots of serve-and-volley, lots of aggressive play from the again,” said Kyrgios. “I executed higher than he did, that’s all it comes all the way down to.”
“He was nice. He was taking part in good,” mirrored the defeated Medvedev. “He beat me pretty, if we are able to say [it] like this.”
US Open, Fourth Round, Kyrgios d. Medvedev 7-6(11), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Fewer than 4 weeks after his win in Montreal, Kyrgios ended one other Medvedev title defence on North American laborious courts with a formidable four-set victory on the US Open.
“I just thought I played the right way,” said Kyrgios, who fired 53 winners, including 21 aces, en route to a two-hour, 53-minute fourth-round win at Flushing Meadows. “I returned unbelievable today. Just thought the third and fourth sets were just so free. I was just having a lot of fun, embracing every moment out on Ashe today. [I am] really proud of that.”
Photo Credit: Sarah Stier/Getty Images
Kyrgios sealed his victory regardless of a weird third-set gaffe, later described by the Australian as “in all probability probably the most boneheaded play of all time”. At 1-0, 30/30 on Medvedev’s serve within the third set, Kyrgios ran spherical the online to intercept a excessive volley from the highest seed that was clearly not going to make it to his facet of the courtroom.
“I believed it was authorized to be sincere. I genuinely thought it was authorized,” Kyrgios mentioned in an interview with ESPN. “I believed I used to be taking part in the concrete streets of my suburb in Canberra… You can see my face… I used to be so blissful. I used to be like, ‘That’s one of the best shot ever’ and it wasn’t authorized. But it was enjoyable.”
A disillusioned Medvedev was impressed with the extent Kyrgios had proven because the Australian prolonged his lead within the pair’s ATP Head2Headvert sequence to 4-1.
“It was a high-level match,” mentioned Medvedev, who misplaced his No. 1 spot within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings on account of the loss. “[I’ve] performed Novak, Rafa. They all play superb. Nick right now performed sort of their degree, for my part.
“He has a bit bit totally different recreation as a result of he is not like a grinder in a manner. At the identical time, he can rally. He’s robust to play. He has a tremendous serve… He has each shot. It was a very high-level match from him.”
Read extra of our Best of 2022 sequence
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