Nick Kyrgios, in Cincinnati on Saturday, followed up his convincing win over soon-to-be world No. 1 Rafael Nadal with another victory — a straight-sets win versus veteran David Ferrer — to make his first Masters 1000 final.
While Kyrgios failed to bring the same fireworks he had against Nadal, he did play just well enough to win without dropping a set, the scoreline 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4).
First @ATPWorldTour Masters 1000 final for @NickKyrgios.#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/TBWBUspciv
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 20, 2017
In the first set, Kyrgios and Ferrer — separated by 13 years of age, seven inches of height and eight spots in the rankings — more or less matched each other shot for shot. Facing no break points, each player held his six service games comfortably, sending it into a tiebreak.
Fab game from Ferru. NK fairly low-key so far.
— Tennis Inside Out (@TennisInsideOut) August 19, 2017
To start the tiebreak, the Spaniard served first. He held by stepping in for a short windshield-wiper winner. Then Kyrgios, on his first two service points, did same thing. After that, Ferrer double-faulted, giving Kyrgios and a 3-1 lead, which the Australian expanded to two mini-breaks for 4-1, though he lost one of them seconds later, reducing his advantage to 4-2. Ferrer afterward gave away another service point, and Kyrgios eventually won the tiebreak 7-3 with a forehand winner.
Kyrgios, up 1-2 with Ferrer serving in the second, forced the first two regulation break points of the match. With Ferrer at the net, a Kyrgios hit a Nadal-esque reverse forehand that dove too hard for Ferrer get good racket on. Ferrer fought off the first break point with a body serve, and then Kyrgios let a routine backhand go long. Ferrer proceeded to serve out the game for 2-2.
Then it was Kyrgios’s turn to get out of trouble. He went down 30-40, but he powered and finessed his was to deuce. He went on to net a heavy forehand, though, giving Ferrer another break point. Kyrgios managed to save it. Then, by popping a backhand pass and spinning an ace up the T, Kyrgios held for 3-2.
Ferrer, trailing 4-5 on serve, faced a match point when Kyrgios side-spun a successful forehand pass. But he fought it off and held to make things 5-5. Two holds later, the match went to a second tiebreak.
In it, Kyrgios pushed Ferrer off the court for a mini-break and a 2-0 lead. He later sliced an ace for 4-1. Two points later, with a 138-m.p.h. ace followed by a 110-m.p.h. one, Kyrgios took a 5-3 lead. He went on to win the tiebreak 7-4.
https://twitter.com/Ubitennis/status/899092448298897408
Kyrgios, in the final, will face Grigor Dimitrov, who won his semi in two tiebreaks as well, against John Isner. Dimitrov won the only previous matchup between him in Kyrgios, in Indian Wells in 2015.
Winner of #CincyTennis final between Dimitrov (1991) and Kyrgios (1995) will be the first Masters champ born from 1989 to 1996. #lostboys
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) August 20, 2017
