By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, October 8, 2017
Rafael Nadal crushed Nick Kyrgios, 6-2, 6-1, capturing his 75th career title in Beijing.
Photo credit: China Open
Shaking his head, pacing in small circles and tossing his hands in the air, an exasperated Nick Kyrgios looked like a jet-lagged traveler bumped from his flight home.
While a rattled Kyrgios endured emotional turbulence, a focused Rafael Nadal was in cruise control.
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Flying through a nine-game run, Nadal defused the volatile Kyrgios, 6-2, 6-1, soaring to his sixth title of the season in Beijing.
The world No. 1 extended his winning streak to 12 matches capturing his 75th career title. Nadal collected the champion's check for $652,370 raising his 2017 record to 61-9.
Twelve years after Nadal defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero and Guillermo Coria in succession to win his first Beijing title, he is Beijing king again. Nadal fought off match points against Lucas Pouille in his opener this week and obliterated an ornery Kyrgios in today’s 92-minute final devoid of drama.
“In 2005, when I won here I never thought in 2017 I was still gonna be playing here tennis,” Nadal told the crowd afterward. “Very happy to be playing here. Very happy to have won the title.”
Kyrgios talked himself into trouble in the first game. Nadal had the last word on pivotal points throughout.
“I want to congratulate Rafa, he’s had an extraordinary couple of months, it was a well-deserved week,” Kyrgios said. “It’s been an amazing week for me. It wasn’t meant to be today. He played unbelievable, but he’s one of the greatest of all times. Congratulations, Rafa, again and I’ll be back.”
Contesting his 110th career final, Nadal crouched far behind the baseline near the Beijing sign embedded on court to return serve. He forced the temperamental Aussie into longer exchanges, broke serve four times and won 70 percent of the points played on Kyrgios’ second serve.
The explosive tennis Kyrgios deployed overwhelming the top seed, 6-2, 7-5, in the Cincinnati quarterfinals in August was absent today.
The 22-year-old Kyrgios won the toss, elected to receive and earned break point.
One incorrect call ignited an emotional eruption in the eighth seed who never really recovered.
Kyrgios caught the sideline with a drive, but the shot was incorrectly called out. He successfully challenged the call, but the Aussie’s cranky mood did not brighten as Nadal held.
Fighting off five break points in his opening service game, Kyrgios navigated an 11-minute hold only to unravel amid an emotional stress test.
Kyrgios checked a mark on a Nadal serve in the fifth game and was told he couldn’t challenge after a delay.
“It’s bullshit. It’s not fair,” Kyrgios said, incurring a code violation warning from chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani.
Nadal was all business imposing a love hold for 3-2. Unable to hit through the 31-year-old Spaniard, Kyrgios dumped a drop shot into net then dropped his Yonex racquet to the court as Nadal broke for 4-2.
Frustration was like a virus gnawing away at his concentration and Kyrgios couldn’t find a remedy.
Lahyani , who showed restraint after a few verbal eruptions from the volatile Aussie, including an F-bomb, finally heard enough of the running commentary and hit Kyrgios with a point penalty before the
eighth game.
Shaking his head continuously and muttering frustrations to his box, Kyrgios spit up successive double faults gifting the second break and the opening set in 49 minutes.
Trying to shake off a horrid game, Kyrgios earned double break point to start the second set.
The US Open champion stood his ground fending off both break points to hold.
Stretching the court with wide angles that pushed his opponent to the edges, Nadal drew another error for break point. Kyrgios slapped a diagonal forehand off the top of the tape as Nadal stamped his sixth straight game for 2-0.
Out of nowhere, Nadal missed the mark with his first double fault to face another break point. Digging in with resolute defense, the top seed saved it with a gritty hold that signaled the end in sight.
Despite a three-ace game, Kyrgios could not hang out to serve as Nadal pounded away from the baseline. Desperate to change it up, Kyrgios tried to serve and volley only to see Nadal blast a backhand return down the line racking up his fourth consecutive break for a one-set, 4-0 lead.
Kyrgios finally halted a nine-game slide to prevent the bagel.
The finish line was in sight and Nadal streamed through it winning his first 500-level hard court title since the 2010 Tokyo.
In the aftermath of his loss to Kyrgios in Cincinnati, Nadal confronted questions about his hard-court title drought. He's answered them emphatically snapping a three-year hard-court title drought winning the US Open.
Ending his streak of 34 straight hard-court tournaments without a title in New York, Nadal now has his second straight hard-court championship. The King of Clay remains a champion for all surfaces.