LONDON — Novak Djokovic kept his cool in the furnace of Center Court against Nick Kyrgios to win his seventh Wimbledon championship. As Kyrgios stuck the ball in the net on championship point, Djokovic looked to his team and let out a massive exhale. The triumph sees him go one behind Rafael Nadal’s record of 22 men’s singles titles.

In a match in which Kyrgios grew increasingly frustrated with interruptions and his own team, Djokovic stayed calm in balmy temperatures to see off Kyrgios in four sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3). This was Kyrgios’ first singles Grand Slam final while it was Djokovic’s 32nd, and eventually experience won out.

Kyrgios stormed through the first set in just 31 minutes to win 6-4, with Djokovic finding it hard to read the Australian’s serve. But then Djokovic found his rhythm, lowered the tempo ever so slightly and got a foothold to take the second set 6-3 — which proved to be the turning point in the match.

Kyrgios grew visibly more frustrated during the third set and asked the umpire to remove a spectator who he said had “drunk 700 drinks, bro” and was talking to him during a point. Kyrgios also frequently directed frustration toward his team, as Djokovic largely kept his cool. He broke Kyrgios in the ninth game, and then served out to go up 2-1 in sets.

The fourth set, after a mighty effort from both players, went to a tiebreak. Djokovic got the read on Kyrgios’ serve to win on the third championship point.

This triumph moves Djokovic level with Pete Sampras and William Renshaw at seven Wimbledon men’s singles titles, one short of Roger Federer’s record. Here’s how the men’s singles final went down on Center Court and how Djokovic kept his cool as Kyrgios lost his.

THE JOKER’S REIGN AT WIMBLEDON CONTINUES @DjokerNole captures his 21st Grand Slam title! pic.twitter.com/owXKPOOog7

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 10, 2022

Taming the Kyrgios serve

Djokovic doesn’t have the reputation for being the best returner in the game for nothing. The man is a machine. But in the first set he really couldn’t get ahold of Kyrgios’ serve — which included a second ace at 125mph in just the second game of the match. Kyrgios dropped just five points on his serve in the first set to storm through. That meant Djokovic had lost a first set for the third match running at Wimbledon — just the third time in his career on grass this had happened. But Djokovic is well-versed in turning things around, and he soon got a handle on Kyrgios’ serve.

Kyrgios had won both of their previous meetings ahead of the Sunday final — and Djokovic had drawn just one break point opportunity in those two matches. But he broke Kyrgios once each in the second and third to get a foothold. It was truly remarkable given Kyrgios was managing to keep over 70% of his first serves in, but Djokovic was able to handle them at the key moments. This included the tiebreak, when he broke Kyrgios’ serve three times to allow him to serve out for the championship.

THAT’LL DO IT!@DjokerNole defeats Nick Kyrgios in the tiebreak to win the #Wimbledon championship! pic.twitter.com/VojQ4mHLN5

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 10, 2022

Third-set fireworks on Center Court

Djokovic told us Friday to expect “fireworks” in this match, and while there were no on-court flashpoints between the two players, it did not want for drama. They spoke of their blossoming “bromance” in the buildup to this match, and there wasn’t really a bad moment between them during the contest, but Kyrgios was still vocal as the match progressed as he turned on the umpire, a spectator and even his own team.

When Kyrgios missed his chance to break Djokovic at the end of the second set — surrendering three set points — he increased the chat toward his box. He was growing increasingly frustrated at how the match was developing, and the chat continued into the third set. At one point he said to his box, “I do n’t understand it! Why ?! I do n’t get it,” then followed that up with, “I’ll hit a 130 [mph] second serve, that’s what I’ll do.” He then threw down an ace. He was also given a warning for an “audible obscenity” during this set, and all in front of the 8-year-old Prince George, who was sitting in the front row of the Royal Box alongside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

He was also angered by a spectator he said was talking to him during points. He complained about the spectator to the umpire, saying: “Why is she still here? She She’s drunk out of her mind.”

And there was his own team, whom he was fuming with as the third set progressed. “I can’t do anything, do you guys care or what? Doesn’t feel like it. Do you know how difficult it is to ace a guy three times?!” This continued into the fourth, with Kyrgios shouting at his box during the tiebreak, “What are you scared for?!”

It was the third set when the momentum shifted behind Djokovic. Kyrgios’ frustration continued into the fourth with several incorrect line calls going against him, and at one point he said to the umpire, “You’ve done no decent overrules in three hours.”

“It’s officially a bromance.”

–@DjokerNole to @NickKyrgios pic.twitter.com/QQCZyFDbxX

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 10, 2022

The battle to be the ultimate men’s GOAT

Djokovic sits at 21 men’s singles Grand Slams, just one behind Rafael Nadal. Nadal has always brushed aside the significance of emerging from this golden generation with the most Slams between him, Djokovic and Roger Federer. But Djokovic has frequently spoken about wanting to be out ahead of the rest. Still, his vaccination stance may make things difficult in the next couple of Slams.

He is currently not allowed to travel to the US due to not being vaccinated against COVID-19, while Australia issued a three-year ban after he was deported in January. That means he’s unlikely to play another Slam until France next year, on his least-favorite surface. At age 35, judging by his competitors, Djokovic still has a handful of years at the top ahead of him, but the opportunities to rack up the Slams are slowly ebbing away.

What’s not in doubt is his current hold on the Wimbledon title. Kyrgios had spoken about the importance of experience here — and how while this would be his first Grand Slam final Djokovic knows every blade of grass and exactly how to navigate the sport’s biggest occasion. He said this would give Djokovic the advantage and he was proven correct as Djokovic won his fourth title on the bounce.

Djokovic has won his past 39 matches on Center Court, and his winning run stretches to 28 matches at Wimbledon (the two losses in 2016 and 2017 both occurred on Court No. 1). He reiterated his love for Center Court throughout the past fortnight and the next time we see him winning a Slam may well be this time next year. By that point Nadal will have had three opportunities to stretch out in front, while Federer may still be in the midst of his comeback.

.

<p>The post How Novak Djokovic came back to win Wimbledon final over Nick Kyrgios first appeared on harchi90.</p>

LONDON — Even Elena Rybakina didn’t expect to win Wimbledon this year. She didn’t even see herself reaching the second week.

She knew she had been putting in the work and had long-term dreams for herself, but she wasn’t happy with her preparation ahead of the tournament and had struggled with injuries recently. Rybakina, 23, didn’t have many expectations for herself when she started play at the tournament.

But match by match, against opponents like Simona Halep and Bianca Andreescu, both former major champions, Rybakina proved to herself what she was capable of. And on Saturday, Rybakina stunned the world — and even herself — with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 comeback victory over Ons Jabeur on Center Court for the first major title of her career.

After the final point had been won as Jabeur’s backhand sailed out of bounds, the normally reserved Rybakina puffed out her cheeks and shook her head, seemingly in disbelief. She smiled only after she had shaken hands with Jabeur and the chair umpire.

“I’m actually speechless,” Rybakina said on court moments later. “To be a winner is just amazing, I don’t have the words to say how happy I am.”

How did Rybakina win on Saturday and what does it mean for her going forward? Here are our key takeaways.

The moment Elena Rybakina became a Wimbledon champion #Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/gVCU9oqxx5

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 9, 2022

that serve

Entering the match, Rybakina had a tournament-leading 49 aces — 19 more than any other woman — and was averaging eight per match. Not to mention, she had the second-fastest serve speed among the women at a blistering 122 mph (trailing only Coco Gauff’s 124 mph). It had been a dominant, and nearly unstoppable, asset for Rybakina over the fortnight. But in the opening set on Saturday, Jabeur completely neutralized it — and Rybakina failed to record an ace for the first set all tournament.

But that dip in dominance didn’t last. Rybakina rediscovered her serve — and form, and all-around level — in the second set. In the final game of the set, she won every point on her serve, and sealed the set with an ace. Ultimately, she had four aces on the day, including one that notched 117 mph in the final game of the match, and perhaps most impressively, didn’t get broken again.

fighting spirit

Never one to show much emotion on court, Rybakina stayed calm and composed despite not having the crowd on her side and Jabeur’s early control. If she was fazed, it never showed. When she returned to the court for the second set, she looked like a new player – with an answer for everything Jabeur sent her way.

It was a staggering turnaround, and she never allowed Jabeur a chance to get back into the match and almost completely silenced the crowd in the process. The unflappable Rybakina never yelled “come on” or “let’s go,” or even offered a hint of a smile, and appeared clinically focused on the next point.

While Jabeur had a number of consequential errors down the stretch, Rybakina never took her foot off of the gas.

Forever part of Wimbledon history.#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/e9nDLrstli

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 9, 2022

the history-maker

Currently ranked No. 23, Rybakina became the first woman ranked outside of the WTA’s top 20 to win at Wimbledon since Venus Williams in 2007. And she became the first woman to win at the All England Club after losing the first set since Amelie Mauresmo in 2006, and the youngest woman to clinch the title since Petra Kvitova in 2011.

Rybakina was already the first player representing Kazakhstan to reach a major final, but she is now the first to take home the trophy as well. While the achievement is a monumental one for the Central Asian nation, Rybakina’s nationality has become the subject of scrutiny over the past two weeks. Born and raised in Russia, she switched federations in 2018 – Kazakhstan was formerly part of the Soviet Union and sits on the Russian border – in order to gain additional funding for her career.

As Russian and Belarusian players were banned from participating at Wimbledon this year because of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Rybakina has repeatedly been asked about her allegiances and current ties to her home country. While she has downplayed her connection to Russia and said she was “really happy” to represent Kazakhstan, it is believed she still predominantly resides in Moscow and it added a layer of intrigue to the trophy presentation.

However, in front of the crowd and the bright glares of the cameras, both Rybakina and the Duchess of Cambridge were all smiles and pleasantries with the Venus Rosewater Dish.

The future is bright

Despite the milestone victory — and collecting a $2.4 million paycheck — Rybakina won’t see every effort rewarded in the rankings. With the WTA stripping Wimbledon of ranking points because of the ban on Russian and Belarusian players, Rybakina will remain at No. 23 in the rankings on Monday. During any other major, Rybakina would have earned an addition 2,000 points and would have cracked the top 10 for the first time in her career.

Still, Rybakina now enters the hard-court portion of the season as a Grand Slam winner and will look to improve upon her career-best third-round appearance at the US Open. She had previously won one of her two titles before Wimbledon on the surface (at Hobart in 2020) and now with momentum and confidence on her side, she could have even more success.

.

<p>The post Wimbledon 2022 – In a tournament of the unexpected, Elena Rybakina is a champion first appeared on harchi90.</p>

LONDON — Nick Kyrgios felt “disappointment” when he first heard Rafael Nadal had withdrawn from their Wimbledon men’s singles semifinal. Then he said he only managed one hour of sleep on Thursday night and was “a reckless ball of energy” as he processed the news.

Nadal withdrew from their semifinal with an abdominal injury, meaning Kyrgios will contest his first ever Grand Slam final on Sunday against either Novak Djokovic or Cam Norrie.

Kyrgios on Friday said he was hoping for a “third chapter” after going 1-1 in two previous matches against Nadal at Wimbledon.

“My energy was so focused on playing [Nadal] and tactically how I’m going to go out there and play, the emotions of walking out there, all that type of stuff,” said Kyrgios, who said he learned of Nadal’s decision while he was eating dinner Thursday.

“But, you know, it wouldn’t have been easy for him to do that [withdraw]. … He barely lost a match this year. He wanted to probably go for all four. So it wouldn’t be easy. I hope he gets better.”

Now Kyrgios’ attention has shifted to the men’s final on Sunday, saying he was “super proud” of himself and that he “never thought” he’d make a Grand Slam final.

“I had a shocking sleep last night, though, to be honest,” Kyrgios said. “I probably got an hour’s sleep just with everything, like the excitement. I had so much anxiety. I was already feeling so nervous, and I don’t feel nervous usually.

He added: “I was just restless. So many thoughts in my head about a Wimbledon final. That’s all I was thinking about. I was thinking just [about] playing, obviously imagining myself winning, imagining myself losing. Everything. … I feel like I’m just a reckless ball of energy right now. I just want to go out on the practice court now and hit some tennis balls and just talk. I don’t know. I want it to come already. Yeah, I want the final to come already.”

Kyrgios has twice lost to Djokovic in matches, and they have also previously clashed off the court. However, they have grown closer since Kyrgios supported Djokovic at the start of the year when he was deported from Australia in advance of the Australian Open.

“We definitely have a bit of a bromance now, which is weird,” said Kyrgios, who added that Djokovic sends him direct messages on Instagram. “I think everyone knows there was no love lost for a while there. I think it was healthy for the sport. I think every time we played each other, there was hype around it. It was interesting for the media, the people watching, all that.

“I felt like I was almost the only kind of player and someone to stand up for him with all that kind of drama at Australian Open. I feel like that’s where respect is kind of earned — not on the tennis court, but I feel like when a real life crisis is happening and someone stands up for you.”

That has been rare in Kyrgios’ instance, especially with his fellow Australians.

Kyrgios said that Lleyton Hewitt, who was the last Australian men’s player to reach a Slam final at the 2005 US Open, is one of the few Australian former pros who show him any support.

“The kind of only great that’s ever been supportive of me the whole time has been Lleyton Hewitt,” said Kyrgios, who said that he hit with Hewitt earlier in the tournament. “Like he knows. He’s our Davis Cup captain, and he kind of knows that I kind of do my own thing.”

It’s been an eventful fortnight for Kyrgios at Wimbledon. He was twice found — first for spitting in the direction of a spectator after his first-round win, then again for an “audible obscenity” in the third round etc. Stefanos Tsitsipas. He overcame a shoulder injury in the fourth round. Prior to his quarterfinal match, news broke that he was being summoned to a court in Canberra, Australia, next month to face a charge of common assault.

Earlier in the tournament, he was filed by Pat Cash for bringing “tennis to the lowest level I can see as far as gamesmanship, cheating, manipulation, abuse, aggressive behavior to umpires, to linesmen” during an appearance on BBC radio.

“I mean, look, as for the greats of Australian tennis, they haven’t always been the nicest to me personally,” Kyrgios said. “They haven’t always been supportive. They haven’t been supportive these two weeks. So it’s hard for me to kind of read things that they say about me. … I’m definitely the outcast of the Australian players.

“It’s pretty sad because I don’t get any support from any of the other Australian tennis players, the male side. Not the players, but like the past greats. It’s weird they just have like a sick obsession with tearing me down for some Reason. Like, I just don’t know whether they don’t like me or they’re, like, afraid. I don’t know. I don’t know what it is. But it sucks, because if it was roles reversed, if I saw [Alex] De Minaur in a final, or if I saw Jordan Thompson or Thanasi [Kokkinakis], I’d be pumped. I’d be stoked. I’d be having a pint watching going nuts.”

.

<p>The post Nick Kyrgios disappointed after Rafael Nadal withdraws at Wimbledon, anxious about final first appeared on harchi90.</p>

Rafael Nadal has pulled out of Friday’s Wimbledon semifinal against Nick Kyrgios with a torn abdominal muscle.

Kyrgios will now face either top-seeded Novak Djokovic or No. 9 Cameron Norrie in Sunday’s championship match.

“Unfortunately, as you can imagine, if I am here, it’s because I have to pull out from the tournament,” Nadal said during a news conference at the All England Club on Thursday.

Nadal practiced for around 45 minutes on Thursday, spending most of the time hitting forehands and backhands, and though he did practice some serves, they were at a vastly reduced speed.

Spanish newspaper Marca reported Thursday that Nadal has a 7-millimeter tear in one of his abdominal muscles but that he intended to play.

Nadal wore tape over part of his abdomen and required treatment, including painkillers, during his thrilling five-set victory over Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

Nadal, 36, was trying to win Wimbledon for the third time and the first time since 2010.

Victory would have given him a record 23rd Grand Slam title after winning the Australian Open and French Open earlier this year.

Information from ESPN’s D’Arcy Maine and Simon Cambers was used in this report.

.

<p>The post Rafael Nadal pulls out of Wimbledon semifinal with torn abdominal muscle first appeared on harchi90.</p>

LONDON — Normally so relentless from point to point, Rafael Nadal occasionally would watch as a ball off the racket of Taylor Fritz landed in during the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

Wincing from an abdominal issue for which he took a medical timeout, Nadal couldn’t move the way he usually does. His trademark grunts of “Uhhhh!” were rare. He didn’t generate the usual zip on his serves, which dipped from a high of 120 mph to barely above 100 mph. He sought to end exchanges with a quick-strike forehand or a drop shot — sometimes with success, often not.

With much of the Center Court crowd loudly supporting the 22-time major champion, roaring and standing after his best strokes, Nadal figured out a way to hang in there and twice erased one-set deficits against the 11th-seeded Fritz, emerging with 3 -6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-4) victory to reach his eighth semifinal at the All England Club.

Nadal extended his unbeaten mark in Grand Slam matches in 2022 to 19-0 as he seeks to add a trophy at Wimbledon to his triumphs at the Australian Open in January, then the French Open in June. For everything that he’s accomplished, the 36-year-old Spaniard never has won the first three Slam titles of a season.

On Friday, Nadal will meet Nick Kyrgios, a 27-year-old Australian who will be making his Grand Slam semifinal debut after a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory over Cristian Garin of Chile.

The other men’s semifinal will be No. 1 Novak Djokovic against No. 9 Cam Norrie.

Nadal leads Kyrgios 6-3 in their head-to-head series, but they are even at 1-all at Wimbledon: Kyrgios, just 19 and ranked 144th, announced himself to the world by stunning Nadal in 2014; Nadal won the rematch in 2019.

“Obviously, we know, two completely different personalities,” Kyrgios said of Nadal. “I feel like we respect the hell out of each other, though. I feel like that would be a mouth-watering kind of encounter for everyone around the world. That would probably be the most-watched match of all time. I would argue that.”

Give Kyrgios credit for honesty: Even he did not think this day ever would arrive. Kyrgios became the first unseeded and lowest-ranked man to get to the final four at the All England Club since 2008 by playing what, for him, amounts to a restrained and efficient brand of tennis.

“I thought my ship had sailed,” Kyrgios said. “Obviously, I didn’t go about things great early in my career and may have wasted that little window. But just really proud of the way I’ve just come back out here.”

Kyrgios, who is ranked 40th, has garnered more attention for his behavior on and off the court than his skills with a racket in hand. His match against the unseeded Garin, a 26-year-old from Chile, came a day after police in Canberra, Australia, said that Kyrgios is due in court next month to face an allegation of common assault stemming from something that happened in December.

“I have a lot of thoughts, a lot of things I want to say, kind of my side about it,” Kyrgios said at his post-match news conference Wednesday. “Obviously I’ve been advised by my lawyers that I’ m unable to say anything at this time.”

After his first-round victory at Wimbledon last week, Kyrgios was fined $10,000 for spitting in the direction of a heckling spectator. His third-round victory over No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was as contentious as can be, and Kyrgios was fined another $4,000 for an audible obscenity; afterward, Tsitsipas called him a “bully” and “evil.”

Worth noting, too, is how well Kyrgios has been playing. His serve, in particular, is among the best in the game, regularly topping 130 mph, and he pounded 17 aces against Garin while getting broken just once – in the very first game, at love.

His big forehands are terrific, too, but little else is conventional about Kyrgios, as noted from his on-court comments after the match.

“I don’t have a coach,” Kyrgios said with a smile. “I would never put that burden on someone.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

.

<p>The post Rafael Nadal, Nick Kyrgios reach men’s singles semifinals at Wimbledon first appeared on harchi90.</p>

LONDON — It says a lot about Novak Djokovic that a two-sets-to-none hole at Wimbledon on a day he was hardly at his best likely left no one thinking the ultimate outcome was a foregone conclusion.

A lot about his preeminence at the All England Club in recent years. A lot about his history of overcoming that sort of deficit. A lot about his ability to adjust, to adapt, to right himself quickly. A lot about what might happen if — or, rather, when — he got back into the match and it eventually went to a fifth set.

And so it was that Djokovic spotted 10th-seeded Jannik Sinner of Italy that huge lead Tuesday, then worked his way all the way back to pull away and win 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6- 2 at Center Court, earning an 11th semifinal berth at Wimbledon with his 26th consecutive victory at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.

Among men, only Roger Federer, with 13, has made more semifinal appearances at the place. Among men, only Federer, with eight, has won more championships than the seven that Djokovic would reach by lifting the trophy Sunday for what would be a fourth year in a row.

Djokovic collected his seventh career comeback in a match he trailed by two sets — he last did it in the French Open final against Stefanos Tsitsipas last year — and improved to 37-10 in five-setters. That includes a 10-1 mark in matches that go the distance at Wimbledon, including nine straight victories; the lone loss came way back in 2006.

In the semifinals on Friday, the top-seeded Djokovic, a 35-year-old from Serbia, will meet either No. 9 Cameron Norrie of Britain or unseeded David Goffin of Belgium. The men’s quarterfinals Wednesday: No. 2 Rafael Nadal vs. Spain no. 11 Taylor Fritz of the US, and Nick Kyrgios of Australia vs. Cristian Garin of Chile.

.

<p>The post Novak Djokovic rallies from 2 sets down to defeat Jannik Sinner, reach Wimbledon semifinals first appeared on harchi90.</p>

Everything went smoothly for Rafael Nadal against Botic Van De Zandschulp on Monday until it came time to close out their fourth-round match at Wimbledon.

Serving for the win at 5-3 in the third set, Nadal was broken for the second time in the match and he then failed to convert three straight match points when leading 6-3 in the ensuing tiebreaker.

That was the end of the Dutchman’s resistance, though, as Nadal converted his fourth match point for a 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (6) win on Center Court. The Spaniard is playing his first grass-court tournament since 2019, when he lost to Roger Federer in the Wimbledon semifinals. He is looking for his third Wimbledon title and has a chance at a calendar-year Grand Slam after winning the Australian Open and French Open to take his career tally to a record 22 major titles.

“To be in the quarterfinals here at Wimbledon after three years without playing here, it’s amazing for me,” Nadal. “So very, very happy.”

Nadal will next face 11th-seeded Taylor Fritz, the only American man left in the draw.

Nick Kyrgios, meanwhile, is returning to the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time since making his debut in 2014 after improving his record in five-set matches at the All England Club to 6-0. Kyrgios overcame an ailing shoulder and a fourth-set slump to beat 20-year-old American Brandon Nakashima 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-2.

Kyrgios needed treatment on his right shoulder several times during the match and was broken two straight times in the fourth set.

But he raced out to a 5-1 lead in the fifth and converted his first match point with a forehand volley. Despite the troublesome shoulder, Kyrgios finished with 35 aces.

And there was little in terms of antics or arguments from the Australian, unlike his previous match against Stefanos Tsitsipas, when he repeatedly argued loudly with the chair umpire and was accused by his opponent of showing a lack of respect. Kyrgios also needed five sets to get past Paul Jubb in the first round.

Kyrgios earned fines of $10,000 for spitting in the direction of a heckling spectator at the end of that first-round match and $4,000 for an audible obscenity during his tempestuous win against Tsitsipas in the third round.

“I was able to just say, ‘Wow, look how far I’ve come,’ to myself. I was bouncing the ball before I served; I really just smiled to myself,” said Kyrgios, owner of a tour-high 11 victories on grass this season. “I was like, ‘We’re here, we’re competing at Wimbledon, putting in a good performance mentally. It was rewarding.”

He will next face another unseeded player, Cristian Garin of Chile, who came from two sets down to beat Alex de Minaur.

Fitz, after three of his countrymen lost in the fourth round, ended that streak by beating qualifier Jason Kubler 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 to reach the last eight of a Grand Slam for the first time.

“I’m glad I could get the win on the Fourth of July, being an American,” Fritz said in an on-court interview.

It was Fritz’s eighth straight victory on grass after winning a warm-up tournament in Eastbourne.

Garin came from two sets down and saved two match points in the fifth before beating de Minaur to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

The unseeded Chilean trailed 5-3 in the first-to-10 fifth-set tiebreaker before winning six straight points to take a 9-5 lead. He then converted his second match point to advance 2-6, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 7-6 (6) after 4 hours, 34 minutes.

He is the first Chilean man to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal since Fernando Gonzalez in 2009.

The 19th-seeded De Minaur had never lost a set against Garin in three previous meetings and looked set to maintain that streak when he led 3-1 in the third-set tiebreaker. The Australian then held two match points at 5-4 in the fifth.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

.

<p>The post Rafael Nadal, Nick Kyrgios advance into Wimbledon men’s quarterfinals first appeared on harchi90.</p>

Jannik Sinner outdueled Carlos Alcaraz in a matchup of up-and-comers Sunday to reach his first Wimbledon quarterfinal, although he needed six match points to put his opponent away.

Sinner, 20, failed to convert two match points in the third-set tiebreaker but recovered to win 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (8), 6-3 on Center Court against the 19-year-old Alcaraz. In terms of combined age, it was the youngest men’s singles matchup in the round of 16 or later at Wimbledon since 1985, when 17-year-old Boris Becker beat Henri Leconte in the quarterfinals.

The 10th-seeded Sinner had three more match points at 5-2 in the fourth, but the No. 5-seeded Alcaraz saved them all before holding serve. Sinner then saved a break point in the next game before finally converting his sixth match point with a forehand winner.

“For me, I didn’t expect it because I wasn’t playing so well on grass,” Sinner said.

He will face the winner of the match between defending champion Novak Djokovic and unseeded Tim van Rijthoven.

David Goffin, meanwhile reached his second Wimbledon quarterfinal after outlasting Frances Tiafoe in five sets.

The Belgian won 7-6 (3), 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 in a tight contest that lasted 4 hours, 36 minutes. Goffin also reached the quarters in his last Wimbledon appearance in 2019, but he missed last year’s tournament with an injury.

Tiafoe called for a physio after winning the third set and was given a pill, then quickly went down 5-1 in the fourth as his first-serve percentage dipped. The No. 23-seeded American held two break points at 5-5 in the fifth set, but Goffin saved them both with powerful serves, then converted his first match point in the next game when Tiafoe netted a backhand.

Goffin will face Cam Norrie, who became the first British man in five years to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals, beating Tommy Paul 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.

He is the first British male quarterfinalist since Andy Murray in 2017.

Norrie reached a career-high ranking of No. 10 this year, but this is the first time he’s been past the third round of a Grand Slam tournament. The 30th-seeded Paul was playing at Wimbledon for the first time and was trying to reach his second Grand Slam quarterfinal.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

.

<p>The post Jannik Sinner outduels Carlos Alcaraz to reach Wimbledon quarterfinals for first time first appeared on harchi90.</p>

A Seattle Seahawks fan learned the hard way not to mess with the US Open’s Twitter account.

It all started with one of the cheekiest plays you’ll ever see in a professional tennis match. Nick Kyrgios was facing off against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Wimbledon men’s singles third round. At some point, Kyrgios noticed that Tsitsipas was standing a little too far back when looking to receive a serve. Being the creative player he is, Kyrgios did something unusual — instead of a standard overhead serve, he dropped the ball, stuck his racket between his legs and hit a soft serve that forced Tsitsipas to charge forward.

The result? Tsitsipas reached it but hit his return right into the net. Point for Kyrgios.

The best plays are the ones that almost don’t look legal — like the player in question is getting away with something.

Now, what does this have to do with some poor Seahawks fan? The thing about a play like this is that it’s obviously going to be posted to the SportsCenter Twitter account. And when something is posted to the SportsCenter Twitter account, at least a few fans are going to comment “not a sport” below it. Inevitable as the rising of the sun. So, when the tweet went live, a Seahawks fan did what thousands of fans like him have done before.

It’s just this time, whoever runs the US Open Twitter account was watching. And decided to drag him.

not a sport says the person about to watch 17 games of Drew Lock at QB

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) July 2, 2022

Incredibly harsh. But they didn’t stop there.

you made this bed

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) July 2, 2022

remind us again, we’re “not a sport”

aren’t there only 32 NFL teams? pic.twitter.com/SIMBfVrDlF

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) July 2, 2022

They even asked Field Yates for some fantasy football advice.

love you field.

Nick Chubb or Joe Mixon this year?

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) July 2, 2022

On top of that, Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf had to ask them to settle down a bit.

Aight Chill we get the point @usopen

— DK Metcalf (@dkm14) July 2, 2022

Spare a thought for that poor Seahawks fan this Independence Day weekend. And for Drew Lock, for that matter.

.

<p>The post The US Open just destroyed an unsuspecting Seahawks fan on Twitter first appeared on harchi90.</p>

WIMBLEDON, England — Stefanos Tsitsipas labeled Nick Kyrgios as a “bully” after he was beaten by the Australian in a volatile “circus” of a third-round match at Wimbledon on Saturday.

Kyrgios won 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7) to reach the fourth round at the All England Club for the first time since 2016, but not without three code violations being issued during the match — one on Kyrgios for an audible obscenity and two on Tsitsipas for ball abuse, earning a point penalty.

After the match, the fourth-seeded Tsitsipas said Kyrgios has “an evil side” and must have been “a bully at school” for the way he behaved throughout the match.

“It’s constant bullying; that’s what he does,” Tsitsipas said. “He bullies the opponents. He was probably a bully at school himself. I don’t like bullies. I don’t like people that put other people down.

“He has some good traits in his character as well, but … he also has a very evil side to him, which if it’s exposed, it can really do a lot of harm and bad to the people around him.”

Responded Kyrgios: “To come in here and say I bullied him, that’s just soft. We’re not cut from the same cloth. I go up against guys who are true competitors. If he’s affected by that today, then that’s what’s holding him back, because someone can just do that and that’s going to throw him off his game like that. I just think it’s soft.”

Much of the drama surrounded an incident at the end of the second set, when Tsitsipas flicked a ball into the corner stands, narrowly missing a spectator.

Kyrgios immediately argued with the umpire, saying Tsitsipas should be defaulted, adding that if he had done it, he would have been thrown out. He then demanded to see a supervisor, but was unhappy with chair umpire Damien Dumusois’ response of a warning.

“What are you talking about, bro?” Kyrgios asked Dumusois. “Bring out more supervisors. I’m not done. Bring ’em all out. I do not care. … I’m not playing until we get to the bottom of this.”

Tsitsipas later apologized for hitting the ball into the corner.

“Look, I have to say it was really bad from my side,” he said. “I have never done that before, throwing the ball outside the court in that way. I did apologize to the people. I don’t know what went through my head at that time.

“I think, with all the circus show going on the other side of the net, it started to become very tiring in a way. That happened. I didn’t hit any people. It did hit the wall, thank God. For sure I’m never doing that again. It’s my responsibility, for sure. But there was also something that created that behavior that I’m not used to see myself.”

Kyrgios’ issues with the chair umpire began in the first set, when he was disturbed by a reversed call by a line judge and wanted that official removed, which didn’t happen.

More antics came from both players throughout. From underarm serves hit by Kyrgios — including one between his legs — to three shots purposely smacked right at him by Tsitsipas.

Kyrgios said after the match that he had done nothing wrong.

“I don’t know what to say,” Kyrgios said. “I’m not sure how I bullied him. He was the one hitting balls at me. He was the one that hit a spectator. He was the one that smacked it out of the stadium. I didn’t do anything. .. . Apart from me just going back and forth to the umpire for a bit, I did nothing towards Stefanos today that was disrespectful, I don’t think. I was not drilling him with balls.”

The Greek star did admit to trying to hit Kyrgios a few times, but he said he thought there should be some sort of rule in place to stop players behaving the way the Australian does at times.

“Every single point that I played today I feel like there was something going on the other side of the net,” Tsitsipas said. “I’m trying not to be distracted by that, because I know it might be intentional, because for sure he can play the other way. And that’s his way of manipulating the opponent and making you feel distracted, in a way.

“There is no other player that does this. There is no other player that is so upset and frustrated all the time with something. It triggers it so easy and so fast.”

The players combined for 118 winners on No. 1 Court in a match that took 3 hours, 17 minutes.

“He’s very different. That’s not a bad thing,” Tsitsipas said of Kyrgios, adding that the Australian star is good for the sport, in some ways. “But I don’t think there has been a single match I have played with him that he was behaving that way. There comes a point where you really get tired of it, let’s say.

“The constant talking. The constant complaining. I mean, I’m about to serve, and there is a big gap there that there is no tennis being played, which is the most important thing in the court. We are there to play tennis . We are not there to have conversations and dialogues with other people … especially when you really know that the referee is not going to overrule what he decided, you know.”

Kyrgios will play American Brandon Nakashima in the fourth round.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

.

<p>The post Nick Kyrgios topples No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in wild, outburst-filled Wimbledon match first appeared on harchi90.</p>