“Bully” Kyrgios Survives Tsitsipas In Feisty Wimbledon Affair, Nadal Overcomes Grunting Sonego; Sinner v Alcaraz

by Staff | July 2nd, 2022, 6:29 pm
  • 14 Comments

Rafael Nadal was on Centre Court but all eyes were on Nick Kyrgios who was in another battle with Stefanos Tsitsipas on Court 1 at Wimbledon.

Kyrgios had beaten Tsitsipas last month in Halle in three sets and this match was just as tight.

Krygios was up to his usual antics drawing a verbal abuse warning early in the match. Tsitsipas would be too sturdy and grab the opener in a well-played breaker.


But things changed as Kyrgios broke Tsitsipas to take the second level the match. A disappointed Tsitsipas whacked a ball into the stands that appeared to just miss a ducking spectator. Kyrgios saw it and demanded that Tsitsipas be defaulted.

The Australian wouldn’t let it go, arguing with chair umpire Damien Dumusois every chance he got. The supervisor Andreas Egli came out. Tsitsipas was apparently given a warning, but Kyrgios’s constant call for justice had to get under the Greek’s skin, and he dropped serve again and Kyrgios would go up two sets one.

In the fourth, the Australian recovered from a scary slip in which he looked to injure his right hip. But was okay.

Neither could do much on break points — Kyrgios finished 2-for-14, Tsitsipas 0-for-5 — and after a 4-all roof closure, to a breaker we went.

Tsitsipas would save a match point then Kyrgios would save a set point. But in the end, Kyrgios handled the chaos of the moment better for a 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(7) win in 3 hours, 17 minutes.

Tsitsipas would admit he tried to hit Kyrgios a couple times on balls.

“I don’t think there has been a single match I have played with him that he was behaving that way. There comes a point where you really get tired of it, let’s say,” Tsitsipas said after.

“The constant talking, the constant complaining,” he added. “We are there to play tennis. We are not there to have conversations and dialogues with other people.

“It’s constant bullying. He bullies his opponents. He was probably a bully in school, too. I don’t like bullies. He has some qualities, but he has a very evil side to him.”

Kyrgios was having none of it.

“I’m not sure how I was able to bully someone in the third round of Wimbledon. I was just playing tennis,” Kyrgios responded.

“I would be pretty upset if I lost to someone two weeks in a row, as well. Maybe he should figure out how to beat me!”

Kyrgios went on to say his behavior was fine.

“The circus was all him today,” Kyrgios said.

“I’m one of the most liked players in the locker room. He’s not liked,” he added. “He has some serious issues.”

As Kyrgios-Tsitsipas was happening, Nadal was rolling past Lorenzo Sonego until the roof closed with the Italian down two sets and 4-2. Sonego would break back after which Nadal called his opponent for a chat asking him to tone down the grunting. Nadal would win the last two games to earn his 17th Slam match win of the year 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

“It was probably my best match without a doubt here at The Championships against the most difficult player I have faced yet,” Nadal said. “I was able to raise my level, so I am super happy for that. I wish Lorenzo all the very best for the rest of the season.”

The 2-time Wimbledon champion would later admit in press he was wrong to confront Sonego about an issue that was up to the umpire.

“I was wrong. Probably, I should not have called him on the net. So, apologize for that. My mistake on that. No problem to recognize that,” Nadal said.

About the only other drama on the day was Jason Kubler coming from two sets to one down to defeat Jack Sock 6-2, 4-6, 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-3 in a battle of qualifiers.

Kubler will now face Taylor Fritz who cruised past Alex Molcan.

Nadal will not get a second straight match in a Slam against Botic Van De Zandschulp who won in four sets over former semifinalist Richard Gasquet.

Next for Kyrgios will be hte level-headed and calm 20-year-old Brandon Nakashima who won 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 over Daniel Elahi Galan. And Alex De Minaur and Cristian Garin set a fourth round meeting Monday.

Tomorrow, the fourth round begins win Novak Djokovic returning to Centre Court to face Den Bosch winner Tim Van Rijthoven. Earlier, though, the youngsters Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner collide in a super showdown of two of the best NextGen stars.

Alcaraz won their only meeting at the Paris Indoors last year.

SUNDAY WIMBLEDON SCHEDULE
CENTRE COURT – 1:30PM
1. Heather Watson v Jule Niemeier
2. Jannik Sinner v Carlos Alcaraz
3. Novak Djokovic v Tim Van Rijthoven

NO.1 COURT – 1:00PM
1. Tatjana Maria v Jelena Ostapenko
2. Cameron Norrie v Tommy Paul
3. Elise Mertens v Ons Jabeur


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14 Comments for “Bully” Kyrgios Survives Tsitsipas In Feisty Wimbledon Affair, Nadal Overcomes Grunting Sonego; Sinner v Alcaraz

skeezer Says:

First great match of the tourney. And who was playing? Krygios. Of all the drama that was, this was also high quality entertaining play. The crowd loved it.
If this player can ever keep his focus entirely on his game, he would be world #1 easily. He is by far the most talented player on tour. Plays a limited schedule, then comes out and beats the #4 player in the world in a Slam, I’d call him a Bully too.


Giles Says:

https://youtu.be/x2bnaJToMAw
Centre Court Centenary Celebration. Wimbledon


tenisbebe Says:

I’ve been a big fan of Nick Kyrios throughout the years. However this disgusting display last night in the cathedral of tennis vs Tsitsipas was too much even for me. His obnoxious, deceitful behavior throughout the match was more than one could bear. And his lame, self-serving post-match explanation was even more revolting. I am sure that he will take the American Brandon Nakashima to the woodshed in their next meeting, but I hope he gets his ass kicked to the curb in the semis, without a kiss or a handshake. Good going Nick – a life long fan will now be holding up a sign during the North American cycle saying “Nick The Dick”. I’M OUT!


tennismonger Says:

I’m liking Brandon’s chances in that one tomorrow…He’s quiet, reserved and lets his racket do the talking kinda like Sinner.

If he can keep it close, Nick may just fold up his circus tent for the fortnight.


zed Says:

Firstly, Federer is not going to play at this level again. If he tries he will be bagelled. He had his day and in his day he was great, now Father Time has taken his toll. I just wonder how much longer the sponsors will keep paying before they realise this.

Kyrgios is filling a marketing niche. He’s not going to do what needs to be done to consistently achieve, he’s going to be sporadic and bring occasional surprises because that’s his personality.

The marketing niche he is filling is the “bad boy”, he actually IS playing the Dennis Rodman role (even though he denies it).

There is always a subset of the public that are drawn to the bad boys. In Boy Bands they always have at least one bad boy with all the tattoos and earrings etc for the little girls that are attracted to that sort. Contrasted to the bad boy they also always have the serious thoughtful one, the pretty one that is front and centre, the quiet sensitive one in the background and they also have the one who clowns around making everyone laugh. It’s all about capturing as much of the market as possible.

Kyrgios is deliberately drawing the attention of companies who have products that will appeal to boys with attitude (and girls attracted to boys like that). Generally speaking, Kyrgios is representing or appealing to the crowd that says “I’m not a champion because I don’t care about being a champion or doing things your way, I’m doing things my way so EFF YOU!”

In my younger days it was Pat Cash who did that (although not as severely as Kyrgios). Pat would play in rock bands, party, get into trouble etc and very occasionally play brilliantly. He won one major only but had his legions of fans anyway, the ones who liked the bad boy. The ones who liked the leader, the pretty front man, all liked Pat Rafter who actually got more runs on the board.

The exception to all this was the great John McEnroe. Bad Boy AND front man/champion. He showed you can be bad AND you can be the best in your time.


autoFilter Says:

I’m confident that if Federer were to return to competition reliably healed, he would show characteristic flashes of brilliance and perhaps even occasionally look like his former self for the better part of an entire match. I don’t have any real hope that he would be able to sustain a high enough level over the course of a tournament, though.

However, I am saying that in the context of singles, and it is not inconceivable to me that he could potentially do some serious and consistent damage as part of a doubles pairing (men’s and/or mixed) if he were inclined to move his focus in that direction.


zed Says:

Autofilter, the competition amonsgt these people is intense, in my opinion more intense than earlier decades.

The difference between players is razor-thin. The slightest compromise in effort, in concentration, in fitness, in judgement etc determines who wins or who loses. World number #1 can easily lose to world number #50 if he/she pulls back too often in a match.

We see injuries all the time because they chase down balls that a lesser athlete would simply let go.

Given all that, if you throw in the things that deteriorate as we age, our strength, our speed, our reaction times, our eyesight, then you can see why a 40 year old is simply not the player he was when he was 25. The passion may be there, the experience may be there, the desire may be stronger than ever, but the real world physics says No.

The Fed was the champion of champions in the early 2000’s but this is 2022 and he just cannot compete with these guys today, he just can’t.

p.s. Novak and Rafa have 2-3 years of potential domination remaining. 3-4 years from now they will remain a threat and occasionally reach the qtrs, semis and maybe finals of the occasional slam (Rafa at the French, Novak at the AO and Wimbeldon). However, 5 years from now? Forget about it!


skeezer Says:

“ Kyrgios is filling a marketing niche”
Not only. The guy can play, when he puts his mind and heart into it. He has taken down top players( undefeated against Novax as example )His play is entertaining, better than most. And I wouldn’t peg him just a bad boy. Rather, he’s a rebel. A damn good rebel tennis player.


zed Says:

Skeezer, I wasn’t implying that he can’t play, when he he decides to give it his all he plays brilliantly.

I was just saying that it is commercially advantageous to have the persona he has, it fills a position in the market that has good sized audience.

Speaking of audience, it’s easy to forget that professional tennis is in fact a form of entertainment and Kyrgios is very entertaining.

My wife is a big fan of his which shows me she has a dark side to her :)


Truth Says:

Still bragging about this dimwit Kyrgios? Well, at least he admitted that Djoker was nowhere near as bad as Tsitsipas after Tsits ball bashed near an old man’s skull.
He needed injured and down players to look like their miracle boy, so the sycophants proclaimed that he was unbeaten. This was after the best player had big Slam titles and played almost non-stop for 2 years. Fake Fedal fanboys.


zed Says:

Truth, I’ve now read it three times and I’m still scratching my head.

WTF are you actually saying?

Others on the forum, can you please help translate this gobbledigook?

What does all this word salad mean?

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