It’s going to be another physical battle: Kyrgios before Rafael Nadal blockbuster

World’s top Seed, the 33-year-old, Mallorcan maverick, Rafael Nadal has been set to revive his new rivalry with the 24-year-old Aussie 26th Seed, Nick Kyrgios, at a chartbuster fourth-round clash, scheduled to take place earlier but delayed due to Melbourne weather, in the hard courts of Rod Laver Arena on Monday (January 27th), at local time 5 p.m., GMT. 08.00., which several analysts said could have been the trickiest test for the world’s No. 1 at his 2020 Melbourne campaign.

Comparing on recent forms, the Sagacious Spanish had yet to drop a single set in the tournament thus far, while the ruthless Aussie had to go through two tie-breaker sets in the first match against Sonego, one drop-set against Simon alongside a muck-sweat third round against Khachanov where the sedulous Aussie, often dubbed as a marvellous melange of flair and aggression, had beaten the 16th Seed in the fifth set at a 10-8 tiebreaker that went too far to be just branded as “physical.”

On top of that, it will be the first singles’ meeting for Nadal with the Aussie rogue since 2019 Wimbledon when the erratic Kyrgios, who on prior occasion ascribed Nadal as a ‘sore loser’ and a ‘super salty,’ lost the match in four sets.

Meanwhile, speaking about Kyrgios, who had been on a probation period due to ill-mannered attitude, Nadal said on Monday (January 27th) morning, “When he plays good tennis and shows passion for this game, he’s a positive player for our tour, and I want my tour bigger, not smaller,” as the Aussie deserter said as a repercussion, “It’s going to be another physical battle. Nothing comes easy with him ... I’m looking forward to it. That’s why you play.”  

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/30WF81D