Kyegos used winning Nadal's memory as the motivation of Wimbledon
According to Kyegos, his experience at Wimbledon helped him beat Nakajima Brandon after five sets in the fourth round on July 4. One of the Australian tennis player's memorable memories at the Grassland Grand Slam was a 7-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-3 win over Rafael Nadal also at the Centre Court in 2014.
"I won one of the greatest tennis players here," Kyegos recalled. "It's still in my mind and helped me overcome my limits. I've never lost five sets at Wimbledon, which is another motivation."
Kyegos has won six five-set matches at the All England Club, including two this year. Before beating Nakajima, the 28-year-old tennis player beat Paul Jub after five sets in the first round. Kyrgios often dominated the tiebreak series because of the serve weapon. From the start of the race, he won three of the four tiebreaker series.
Kyrgios suffered a recurrence of a shoulder injury against Nakajima. He almost gave up the serve at the end of the fourth set to accumulate strength for the fifth set. The six-time ATP Tour champion said it was a tactical calculation that helped him to a 6-2 win in 37 minutes in the tiebreaker. "Maybe no player is completely fit at this point," Kyegos replied when asked about injuries.
Kyegos was more calm against Nakajima than his controversial third-round tie against Sisipas. However, after the complaint failed, he still had a confusing dispute with the referee. The No. 45 ATP player believes the referee must see the ball clearly because he sits high. The umpire says he can't see every single ball, so Kyegos has the right to complain.
"Stop moaning, Nick," a fan shouted, ending the row between Kyegos and the referee and leaving the crowd at the Central Stadium laughing.
So far, Kyrgios has been fined twice for wrongdoing, totaling $14,000. He has also been the focus of criticism for spitting at fans and breaking Wimbledon's dress code.
Kyrgios and Cristian Garin are the two unseeded quarterfinals who will meet. If he wins over Chile, Kyegos is likely to be reunited with Nadal in the semi-finals.
