The match between Daniil Medvedev and Nick Kyrgios was one of the most exciting matches so far at this year’s Australian Open. Medvedev is currently the top seed in this year’s Australian Open and Nick is one of the most exciting players on the tour. The flamboyant Australian already had a 2-0 head-to-head record over the Russian and people were excited to see the match-up.
Undoubtedly, the match lived up to the hype, as both players played their best tennis. Also, the crowd inside the Rod Laver Arena was extremely vocal throughout the match and brought some extra life into the match. After the match, Medvedev was really critical of the crowd, but Kyrgios backed their boisterousness.
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Nick Kyrgios backed the reaction of the crowd
The entertaining match lasted 2 hours and 58 minutes and the World no.2 Daniil Medvedev beat the Australian favorite Nick Kyrgios in four sets, 7-6,6-4,4-6,6-2, but the scoreline does not reflect the whole story.
The match had drama, arguments, and intensity, along with so many incredible shots. Nick had a few arguments with the chair umpire here and there. After getting a couple of code violations, the Australian could not hold back his emotions in the 4th set, and he broke his racquet. As a result, Kyrgios received a point penalty, which was the last nail in the coffin for the Australian.
After the match, Nick seemed quite pleased with his performance and he believes he can win 95% of the matches if he can keep this level. “The way I played today I would win against 95% of the tour,” Kyrgios stated.
Kyrgios. "The way I played today I would win against 95% of the tour".
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 20, 2022
Kyrgios also supported the crowd for the atmosphere they created inside the Rod Laver Arena. He didn’t quite agree with Medvedev’s criticism of the crowd and said, “I know tennis is a gentleman’s sport, but it’s about time to embrace some sort of different energy in a match like this.”
Watch This Story: Nick Kyrgios puts up a crazy show at the Australian Open 2022
However, the Australian also praised his opponent and said, “Incredibly proud of my performance today. He is maybe the best player in the world at the moment. Never drops his level.”
What’s next for Kyrgios and Medvedev?
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Daniil Medvedev is now through to the third round where he will face Botic van de Zandschulp of Netherlands. They faced each other in the quarter-finals of last year’s US Open and the Russian won the match in four sets. This time around, Medvedev should easily go past Van de Zandschulp, considering his impeccable form.
Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios has no plans to play any tournaments for now. He just wants to enjoy some time with his team and have a nice dinner.
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Can Daniil win the Australian Open? Let us know in the comments.