Canadian Open 2022: 3 factors which stood out in Hubert Hurkacz's QF win over Nick Kyrgios
Eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland beat Nick Kyrgios of Australia 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 6-1 to move into the semifinals of the Canadian Open on Friday. The match lasted for an hour and 46 minutes.
Into the semis! 🎾💪 https://t.co/nttWJYQ2JR
Hubert Hurkacz thus ended Nick Kyrgios’ eight-match winning streak. The 25-year-old Pole will take on Casper Ruud of Norway in the semifinals on Saturday.
On that note, let’s take a look at three things that stood out in the match:
#1 Hubert Hurkacz won the first set through a tiebreak as both players served well:
Both Kyrgios and Hurkacz are known to possess big serves and they played to their strengths in the first set. Kyrgios and Hurkacz had break point opportunities in the fifth and eighth games, respectively, but could not convert them. Neither of them lost their serve as the first set went into a tiebreak.
Hurkacz won the tiebreak 7-4 to draw first blood. Kyrgios and Hurkacz fired 10 and eight aces, respectively, with one of Kyrgios’ service games getting over within a mere 44 seconds.
Kyrgios approached the net more frequently and also came up with quite a few winners through one-two combinations. The 27-year-old Australian hit 22 winners in the first set against Hurkacz’s 13, but also committed 14 unforced errors against the Pole’s nine. Hurkacz moved Kyrgios from side-to-side at times to test his court-coverage and tire him out.
#2 Nick Kyrgios drew level to win the second set through another tiebreak:
Both players continued in the second set from where they left off in the first. Kyrgios had a few break point opportunities, but Hurkacz’s mighty serve kept bailing him out. The second set also went into a tiebreak and Kyrgios managed to draw level by winning it 7-5.
Hurkacz rushed the net more frequently in the second set to put pressure on the Australian. Kyrgios, meanwhile, kept hitting drop shots, lobs and quick half-volleys to entertain the crowd. The match was poised for a great finish as either player’s serve seemed unbreakable after the first two sets.
#3 Hurkacz won the final set convincingly by breaking Kyrgios twice:
Hurkacz raced to a 3-0 lead in the third and final set by breaking Kyrgios in the second game. He then broke the Australian again in the sixth game to take a 5-1 lead and then served out the set and the match.
Nick Kyrgios had six break-point opportunities in the match, but the Pole was able to save each one. He also seemed to have a minor niggle in his left leg, which hampered his movement to an extent.
Hurkacz, meanwhile, was very disciplined with his groundstrokes in the last two sets and committed very few unforced errors. Kyrgios hit 55 winners in the match, including 19 aces, against Hurkacz’s 47. However, the Australian also committed 24 unforced errors against Hurkacz’s 13 and could only win 48% of points on his second serve.