Kyrgios stays put and sets up a match with Opelka in Washington.
Kyrgios stays put and sets up a match with Opelka in Washington: Nick Kyrgios must beat three Americans in as many days if he wants to get to the quarterfinals of the Citi Open. After beating Marcos Giron easily in the first round, the 2019 Washington champion beat 14th seed Tommy Paul 6-3, 6-4 in an exciting evening match on Wednesday. That sets up a Round-of-16 match against fourth-seeded Reilly Opelka, who is 2-0 ahead of him in their ATP Head2Head series.
Kyrgios beat Paul
Kyrgios, who also beat Paul in Houston in April, said, “I always seem to find my best tennis when I play Tommy. I played pretty two flawless matches from a return and serve standpoint.”
Paul used his athleticism and consistency to help make a crowd-pleasing match under the D.C. lights. First, the Australian saved all four break points that Paul gave him. Then, at 2-2 in the second set, when Kyrgios started to serve better, the American had three chances to break, but he couldn’t get ahead.
More on Kyrgios
Kyrgios, who was in the final of Wimbledon, didn’t have a breakpoint in the second set until the last game when he got his third break of the match. This ended the match after an hour and a quarter. He also beat Marcos Giron in straight sets on Tuesday. This was his first win in a singles match since his first major final.
“I feel as if all these matches are so crucial. As I didn’t get any [Pepperstone ATP Rankings] points from Wimbledon, I’m trying to stay locked in,” World No. 63 added in his post-match presser. “But in a way, it’s good because I’m still putting in some really good performances.”
Opelka beat fellow Czech Denis Kudla in three sets, 6-7(6), 6-4, and 6-4, with the help of 28 aces. In the second set, the fourth seed saved a break point early and then won 19 straight points on serve to win the set. In the last set, after taking the lead with an instant break, he held three more love serves.
The American beat Kyrgios in the semifinals last year in Toronto and again this year in Houston. Since Miami, he hasn’t lost a match on home soil. This season, he is 14-3 in the U.S. and has won in Dallas and Houston.