Nick Kyrgios reached the fourth round of the US Open for the first time and set up a blockbuster showdown against reigning champion Daniil Medvedev with a straight-sets victory over American wildcard JJ Wolf.
The Australian claimed a routine 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 win over Wolf to set up a Sunday clash with Medvedev, who also saved precious energy in a straight-sets win on Friday night against Yibing Wu at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Kyrgios defeated the Russian the last time they met, less than a month ago in Montreal, and their meeting was marked as one of the highlight probable matches at the hardcourt Grand Slam since the draws were announced.
“I want to be playing on the biggest stadiums in the world in front of millions of people broadcasted globally,” Kyrgios said. “That’s where I want to be. That is why I work hard. It makes it even sweeter.
“I know a lot of people don’t want me to succeed. I know a lot of people hate my game, the way I do things, the way I go about it.”
Kyrgios harnessed his mighty serve to clinch his third-round match in an efficient hour and 56 minutes, whacking 21 aces at his opponent and sending over 35 winners, as he wrested the momentum early with a break in the fifth game of the first set.
JJ Wolf shakes hands with Nick Kyrgios after his straight-sets loss
There were few fireworks as Kyrgios defended all seven breaks he faced inside Louis Armstrong Stadium, where he earned a $7,500 fine for “spitting and audible obscenities” during his second-round meeting with France’s Benjamin Bonzi.
With the sporting world’s eyes laser-focused on the neighbouring showcourt, as Serena Williams fell to Ajla Tomljanovic in dramatic fashion in what is widely expected to be her final tournament, Kyrgios’ lopsided win prompted little fanfare.
But it nonetheless marked the latest in a stellar run for Kyrgios, who is playing the best tennis of his career after winning in Washington and reaching his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon.
“There’s no shame in losing to a player like that [Medvedev], Kyrgios added. “But the way I’m playing, the game plan and the success I had against him obviously in Montreal, I definitely feel like I have a fighting chance.
“Not many players can say that right now, going in to play Medvedev at the US Open. We’ve got major respect for each other. I’ve got major respect for his coach as well. He’s a great guy. Been really nice to me. Look, I think it’s going to be a fun battle.”
Medvedev remains on course to make history
Medvedev cruised into the last 16 with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Chinese qualifier Wu, firing 12 aces and converting six of 12 break points to comfortably dispatch his 22-year-old opponent.
Daniil Medvedev would lose his world No 1 status with defeat to Nick Kyrgios at the US Open
“If you ask me what I could improve, I don’t see many things,” Medvedev said of his title defence, having already blazed past Stefan Kozlov and Arthur Rinderknech in the last two rounds. “Maybe a little bit less double-faults, but that’s if we’re trying to dig somewhere. If not, high-level match.
“If I continue this way, have good opportunities to do something big. But the next match is not easy. Going to try to recover well and be 100 per cent for the next one.”
Medvedev remains on course to become the first player to win consecutive US Open titles since Roger Federer’s run of five between 2004 and 2008, although defeat to Kyrgios in the next round would see Medvedev lose his world No 1 ranking to Rafa Nadal after the tournament.
Speaking about his clash with Kyrgios, Medvedev added: “We’ve played great matches. All have been quite tight on the scoreboard. It’s 3-1 to him but I’ll try to do better this time and it’ll be a great match for people to watch.
“I don’t think we are friends. When I say ‘friends’, we haven’t been to the bar together. I feel like we respect each other a lot. On the court also we never really had any fight or anything, which can change any moment. We are both quite electric. You never know what’s going to happen in the future.
“Nick is a little bit different from other tennis players sometimes on the court. That’s his choice. That’s his life. I’m not the one to judge.”
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