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.

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

Nick Kyrgios is going to play in the Wimbledon final for the first time in his career.

The Australian athlete, 27, advanced via walkover after Rafael Nadal withdrew from their scheduled Friday semifinal due to injury. The recent series of events follows a dramatic week for Kyrgios, who has been accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Chiara Passari.

Amid the recent controversy, Kyrgios has been leaning on his current girlfriend, Costen Hatzi.

A Sydney-based blogger and influencer, Hatzi has been dating Kyrgios for several months, with the couple going public with their romance in December 2021. She has joined him on the road for various tournaments this year, including Wimbledon.

On Wednesday, one day after News.com.au reported that Kyrgios has been charged with assault, Hatzi attended a practice session with the controversial athlete, who wasn’t shy about packing on the PDA. Later in the day, she cheered him on at the All England Club, where he defeated Chile’s Cristian Garin to advance to the semifinals.

“Semi finals of Wimbledon,” Hatzi gushed in an Instagram Story. “So proud of you @kingkyrgios.”

Hatzi, who boasts nearly 100,000 followers on Instagram, has also posted tributes to Kyrgios throughout the tournament, including one from this past weekend.

“First week at Wimbledon & it was a success,” she posted on Sunday, to which Kyrgios replied, “Let’s start this thing over!! I love you boo .”

Kyrgios has used the ring emoji on several occasions in reference to Hatzi, fueling rumors the two were engaged. In a May interview with The Daily Telegraph, Kyrgios declared that Hatzi is “definitely the one.”

“I am in love with her and she is an amazing person,” Kyrgios said. “We go through ups and downs together but I love her to bits.”

Prior to his relationship with Hatzi, Kyrgios began dating Passari in July 2020. The two split up last October after an argument that resulted in a police visit to their Adelaide hotel.

Kyrgios, who is ranked No. 40 in the world, is due in a Canberra, Australia court next month. The common assault charge has a maximum sentence of two years in jail.

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<p>The post Meet Nick Kyrgios’ current girlfriend, influencer Costen Hatzi 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.”

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Kyrgios will have an enforced break before Sunday’s final while Djokovic, the top seed, can now see the path to a fourth consecutive Wimbledon title opening up before him.
The Serb had to come back from two sets down against Italian 10th seed Jannik Sinner in his quarter-final on Tuesday.
But the 35-year-old finished the match looking fresh, even pulling off an outrageous winner while doing the splits.

Djokovic is on a 26-match winning streak at Wimbledon as he seeks to draw level with Pete Sampras on seven titles at the All England Club — just one behind Roger Federer’s men’s record.
He is also bidding to reach a record 32nd Grand Slam singles final, which would put him one ahead of Federer.
If he wins the title he would reach 21 Grand Slam titles, moving past Federer and just one behind Nadal in the race to be crowned the greatest of all time.
British ninth seed Norrie had never progressed beyond the third round of a Grand Slam before this year’s Wimbledon.

The 26-year-old has vowed to “take it” to Djokovic and will hope to ride a wave of home support but he has a tough task on his hands to unseat the champion.
Djokovic, who beat Norrie in their only previous meeting, is braced for a partisan crowd.
“For him, not much to lose,” he said. “Every victory from now onwards is a big deal for him.
“I know that. But, you know, I practiced a few times. I know his game well. He’s been around. Of course I will do my homework and get ready.”
Kyrios will be kicking his heels on Friday, deprived of the chance to repeat his famous 2014 victory over Nadal at Wimbledon, which the Spaniard avenged five years later.

The Australian cruised through his last-eight match against unseeded Chilean Cristian Garin in straight sets to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final.
Kyrgios’s tournament has been defined by breathtaking shot-making but also his familiar rants on court — including a demand that Tsitsipas be thrown out of the championships for hitting a ball into the crowd.
The 40th-ranked player has been fined a total of $14,000 and he now has the added distraction of a looming court appearance in Australia, related to an allegation of assault.
But he said he was proud to have come so far at Wimbledon.
“I obviously had thoughts the last year, year and a half, whether I wanted to play anymore — lost the love, lost the fire, lost the spark.
“Then some things just changed in my life… I kind of just rediscovered that I’ve got a lot of people that want me to play, that I play for.
“I’ve got a lot left in the tank. I feel like I’m probably playing some of my best tennis, mentally feeling great.”
Kyrgios, who has beaten Djokovic in both of their two meetings, will fancy his chances whoever he plays on Sunday.
In the meantime he must watch and wait.

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<p>The post Novak Djokovic eyes Wimbledon glory after Rafael Nadal pulls out | Tennis News first appeared on harchi90.</p>

Rafael Nadal ‘has a 7mm TEAR to his stomach’ but vows to fight on at Wimbledon, even though he can’t practice his serve at full power as he arrives over an hour late for his session ahead of facing Nick Kyrgios tomorrow

• Nadal had been due to practice on one of the championship courts on Thursday
• There are doubts over his fitness ahead of the semi-final against Nick Kyrgios
• He ignored calls from his box to retire in his quarter-final with Taylor Fritz
• Nadal was struggling with an abdominal problem before coming back to win

By Mike Dickson and Liam Morgan For Mailonline

Published: 07:59PM EDT, 7 July 2022 | updated: 09:30 EDT, 7 July 2022

Rafael Nadal is practicing at Wimbledon after arriving more than an hour later than his scheduled slot amid fears he may have to withdraw from his semi-final against Nick Kyrgios through injury – although the Spanish star has reportedly vowed to play the match.

Nadal is out on one of the practice courts at Aorangi Park. According to reports, media have been prevented from getting close to the 22-time Grand Slam champion.

The Spaniard, 36, had been scheduled to be on Court 10 – one of the championship courts – at 12:30 but initially failed to show, fueling speculation over his whereabouts.

Spanish newspaper Marca has reported Nadal has a 7mm tear in one of his abdominal muscles but is still hoping to face Kyrgios in their mouth-watering clash on Friday.

He is mainly hitting groundstrokes and is not serving at full power, which Spanish media have reported has been the case in practice for most of the week.

Rafael Nadal arrived over an hour late for his scheduled practice at Wimbledon on Thursday

Rafael Nadal was struggling with an abdominal problem in his quarter-final win over Taylor Fritz

Nadal’s father Sebastian appeared to urge his son to quit as he battled abdominal pain during Wednesday’s Wimbledon quarter-final

Nadal ignored calls from his box to retire hurt with an abdominal problem in his comeback five-set win over Taylor Fritz in their quarter-final.

His father Sebastian and sister Maria were both caught by the television cameras frantically gesturing for him to forfeit Wednesday’s last-eight encounter.

But after taking a medical timeout midway through the second set, the Spaniard roared back to set up a Center Court showdown with Kyrgios.

Asked if he would be able to continue in the tournament after beating American Fritz, Nadal said: ‘I don’t know. I am going to have some more tests but it is difficult to know.

Nadal took a medical timeout in the second set before roaring back to beat Fritz in five sets

‘I had these feelings for a couple of days, but without a doubt, today was the worst day. There has been an important increase of pain and limitation.

‘I am worried. I don’t have a decision. I need to know different opinions and I need to check everything the proper way.

‘There is something more important than winning Wimbledon and that is health.’

Nadal underwent medical tests on Thursday which revealed the abdominal tear.

He is seeking a third Wimbledon title but it remains unclear whether he will be fit enough to play Kyrgios for a place in Sunday’s final.

The primary concern for Nadal before Wimbledon was his chronic foot issue but the abdomen has been hampering him more.

Nadal is hoping to be fit enough to play Nick Kyrgios in the semi-finals on Friday

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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.

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<p>The post Rafael Nadal, Nick Kyrgios reach men’s singles semifinals at Wimbledon 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.

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

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nick Kyrgios have to pay the Wimbledon piper.

The two tennis stars will both be fined after their heated match on Saturday in which Kyrgios came out the victor.

Tsitsipas will have to pay $10,000, while Kryigios was fined $4,000.

Tsitsipas’ fine came from unsportsmanlike conduct, which stemmed from two stern warnings of ball abuse from the match’s chair umpire Damien Dumusois.

Footage showed Tsitipas hitting a ball toward fans during Saturday’s match, which made Kyrgios make him want to be defaulted.

Kyrgios reportedly called Dumusois an obscenity and asked “Are you dumb?” to the chair umpire, which led him to be fine. He’s been fined before while playing at Wimbledon for spitting in the direction of a fan.

Tsitsipas called Kyrgios a “bully” following the match for his antics towards Dumusois. In response, Kyrgios called Tsitsipas “soft.”

Kyrgios will face Brandon Nakashima Monday in Wimbledon’s Round of 16.

With Post Wires

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<p>The post Stefanos Tsitsipas, Nick Kyrgios both fined after heated match 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.

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<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.

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