By Chris Oddo | Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Nick Kyrgios saved two points before finally converting on his sixth match point to defeat Roger Federer in a wild battle on Wednesday in Madrid.
Photo Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Australia’s can’t miss kid didn’t miss.
20-year-old Nick Kyrgios scratched and clawed his way through an epic, up-and-down battle with Roger Federer, finally working his way to a 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 7-6(12) victory on his sixth match point to reach the third round of the Mutua Madrid Open.
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All the ebb and flow of this wild affair came to a boil in a tense, memorable third-set tiebreaker that saw Kyrgios and Federer trade big serves and big blows until Kyrgios finally sealed the victory after fighting off two match points.
Though Kyrgios is the more volatile and less experienced player, he was steadier than Federer by a hair in a wildly entertaining tiebreaker that drew raves on Twitter. It was the Swiss maestro who finally cracked, sailing an inside-out forehand well wide to end the pair’s first meeting at the two hour and 37-minute mark.
"He's got nothing to lose, no fear, and he's got a great game," said Federer. "He can rely on his serve so much... No doubt about it, it was impressive."
Federer looked to be in control in the early going. He swept through the first-set tiebreaker when Kyrgios become temperamental about a tough call that went against his serve at 1-4, taking advantage of the Aussie’s momentary lapse of reason to stretch the lead to 6-1 before claiming the set two points later.
Federer would break in the opening game of the second set but Kyrgios impressively regained his foothold in the match when he broke back for 2-all and he would later claim the set after Federer handed him a big lead in the tiebreaker with some sloppy play of his own.
During the changeover in that second-set tiebreaker, after being frustrated by some poor calls and the rambunctious play of Kyrgios, Federer remarked to chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani sarcastically, “We need a clown for this circus.”
The circus would give way to bona fide tennis drama in the decider.
In the third set neither player earned a break point in the 12 games that proceeded the tiebreaker.
In total for the match, the pair combined for 38 aces (22 for Kyrgios). Kyrgios hit 45 winners against 41 unforced errors, while Federer hammered 50 winners against 36 unforced.
Perhaps none of those winners was as dazzling as the drop shot that Kyrgios hit to take a 9-8 lead in the third-set tiebreaker. Tennis Channel’s Lindsay Davenport later called it the “best drop shot I ever saw,” and it earned Kyrgios his third match point. Thanks to some stubborn serving from Federer it wouldn’t be enough.
Eventually, however, after failing to convert on his fourth and fifth match point, Kyrgios broke through for the colossal victory.
Tweets, Notes and Numbers
This was the first loss that Federer suffered to a player aged 20 and under since the 2009 U.S. Open final, when he fell to Juan Martin del Potro. (according to Josh Meiseles)
Federer fell to 21-4 on the season.
Kyrgios improves to 2-1 vs. the ATP’s Top-5 with the victory. He was won his last two.