2019 Mexican Open, Acapulco Quarter-final: Stan Wawrinka vs Nick Kyrgios, Preview and Prediction
A resurgent Stan Wawrinka and the exceptionally talented, yet volatile Nick Kyrgios meet in a blockbuster quarter-final at the Mexican Open.
The two have faced each other five times so far, with the Swiss star edging the head to head 3-2. Of the three matches played on hard courts, Stan has won two matches to Nick’s one. After taking down Rafael Nadal in the previous round for his third win in six matches against the Spaniard, can the Australian do the same to the Swiss star?
Kyrgios' performances before this tournament had been extremely disappointing. Having lost in the early rounds, his ranking has plummeted and he now sits in the seventies.
But he has always brought out his best against the very best players. His second-round victory against Nadal proved that there is still a chance that the eccentric Australian will make up for lost time and get back on track to become one of the very best in the world.
After losing the first set to Nadal, Kyrgios was almost on the verge of retiring. He was apparently struggling physically but he plowed through because he did not want to get booed by the audience. But he not just stayed on, he began to find his mojo.
He saved several break points, played some unbelievable drop shots and a miraculous backhand from an impossible angle which could be a contender for shot of the year!
Even when he was down match points, he did not give up and played brave tennis and he will certainly need to do that against the three-time Grand Slam champion.
Wawrinka seems to be getting back in the groove after struggling with injuries. He entered this tournament on the back of a run to the final at the Rotterdam Open and would surely like to do one better here and lay his hands on a first title in about two years.
His straight set wins in the first two rounds against the two Americans - Ryan Harrison and the seventh seed Steve Johnson – have been quite impressive. He has served very well, winning over 80% of the points on his first serve, and his fearsome backhand has been firing on all cylinders.
His match against Kyrgios will not be easy, especially if the mercurial Australian brings the same kind of focus that he displayed against Nadal. However, the more consistent Wawrinka certainly has the edge over the unpredictable and inconsistent Kyrgios going into this match.
Prediction: Stan Wawrinka to win in 3 sets
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