5 crazy moments from Rafael Nadal's quarter-final vs Nick Kyrgios at Indian Wells
Rafael Nadal sealed his place in the semifinals of the Indian Wells Masters by defeating Nick Kyrgios 7-6(0), 5-7, 6-4 in a highly entertaining match that lasted two hours and 47 minutes. The Spaniard lost his serve early in the first set but fought back to win it in a tie-break.
Kyrgios broke Nadal in the final game of the second set to level the match. In the deciding set, the Spaniard earned the decisive break in the seventh game. Rafael Nadal now has 19 successive victories in the 2022 season.
After the match, the Spaniard declared that he was happy with his performance, especially in the third set. He also praised Nick Kyrgios, saying the Aussie's "serve is huge."
“I think for moments I played well," the Spaniard said. "It’s difficult to play against him, always tough because he changes the dynamic of the point very quick and his serve is huge, especially the first serve. I think I played a good third set. Returning better. I was solid with the serve; I just suffered in one game with my serve. Nick is one of these kind of players that you're going to have problems when he’s motivated."
Nadal will face compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals of the Masters 1000 event in what will be the second meeting between the two Spaniards. They last met in the second round of the Madrid Masters last year with the King of Clay beating Alcaraz 6-1, 6-2 on the latter's 18th birthday.
Any match involving Kyrgios is an entertaining affair, especially when he comes up against Nadal. Thursday's match had more than its fair share of drama, from Kyrgios screaming at a spectator to nearly injuring a ballboy by smashing his racket after the match.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at five crazy moments from the Rafael Nadal vs Nick Kyrgios encounter at Indian Wells.
#5 Carlos Bernardes sets a fan straight
Carlos Bernardes is one of the most popular chair umpires in the sport and has had his fair share of arguments with players, including Rafael Nadal. During the second set of the match, the Brazilian had a stern message for a belligerent fan.
"Ten thousand people who want to watch tennis here and you are the only one screaming like crazy," the umpire said.
"Ten thousand people who want to watch tennis here and you are the only one screaming like crazy" 🎤
Bernardes setting a fan straight! 👏 https://t.co/MDVMTTT1kD
Bernardes' words were followed by a loud cheer from the crowd. Unfortunately, the raucous behavior continued throughout the match, much of it directed towards Kyrgios.
#4 Kyrgios calls Rafael Nadal "lucky"
Kyrgios is known for speaking his mind, a trait that has often landed him in hot water.
The Aussie started the match well and broke Nadal early. At 5-3, he was serving for the set but the Spaniard broke back to reduce the deficit.
Kyrgios was miffed and, while conversing with his team, called Rafael Nadal "lucky." Naturally, the Aussie was on the receiving end of some trolling on social media for his bizarre comment.
Kyrgios saying to his team, without a hint of irony or sarcasm, that @RafaelNadal “is so lucky” — is one of the most unintentionally funny takes I’ve ever heard. So lucky he’s won 21 majors.
#3 Nadal wins first set after Kyrgios receives point penalty
Kyrgios has so often let his emotions get the better of him on the court and we saw a number of instances of this during Thursday's match.
During the first-set tie-break, Nadal was up 6-0. At this point, Kyrgios had some choice words for a spectator who was bothering him.
"Shut the f*** up!" he said.
Umpire Bernardes immediately handed the Aussie a code violation and a point penalty, thus awarding Nadal the opening set.
"Shut the fuck up!" - Nick Kyrgios to a dude in the crowd and that's a code violation and point penalty and the loss of the set.
#2 Kyrgios uses Ben Stiller to prove a point
Kyrgios is often seen arguing with the crowd during his matches and his latest encounter against Nadal was no different.
"Are you good at tennis?" he asked a fan.
When the spectator responded in the negative, Kyrgios told him to stop talking.
"Exactly, so why are you speaking?"
He then pointed towards Ben Stiller, who was in attendance, and said he wouldn't tell the actor how to do his job.
"Do I tell him how to act? No."
Kyrgios: "Are you good at tennis?"
Fan: "No."
Kyrgios: "Exactly, so why are you speaking?"
*Slight pause before pointing toward actor Ben Stiller, a Rafa fan.*
"Do I tell him how to act? No."
Nick held in that game but broken the next time and in trouble. tnns.co/iwrafanick https://t.co/JheRLKxeKL
#1 Kyrgios nearly injures ball boy
After the match, Kyrgios went to the net and congratulated Rafael Nadal before shaking the umpire's hand. He then smashed his racket to the floor, causing it to ricochet into the boards and narrowly miss a ball boy. It remains to be seen if the ATP will take any action against the mercurial Aussie.
: @villievang)Nick Kyrgios throws his racket after losing to Rafael Nadal in the Quarter-final of #IndianWells.
(🎥: @villievang) https://t.co/6cccAHeNGb
Also Check Out: Indian Wells Masters 2022 Results