Wimbledon 2022: 3 reasons why Nick Kyrgios could win his 1st Grand Slam title against Novak Djokovic
Nick Kyrgios reached his first Wimbledon final since Rafael Nadal had to withdraw from the semis due to an abdominal injury. Notably, it was the first walkover into a Wimbledon final. The mercurial Australian has been in red-hot form in this year’s grasscourt season, winning 12 out of 14 matches on the surface this year.
The Canberran did not have an easy route to the final as he had to play two five-set matches and a grueling third round against World No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas. His path to Wimbledon was laden with controversies, from spitting towards a fan in the first round to calling line judges a snitch.
Djokovic. Kyrgios.
Centre Court. Sunday.
#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 https://t.co/GUldzbDgmR
Despite all the ups and downs in this year’s Wimbledon, he has been the center of attraction for his good tennis and bad behavior. After getting an extra day’s rest, Nick Kyrgios will be itching to win his first grand slam and go into the record books at Wimbledon. Here are three reasons why he can go all the way.
3) Variety
The 27-year-old is only the 20th player to record 25 wins against the top 10 players. He is able to win these big matches because of the variety of shots that he can manufacture at the most unexpected times.
Unlike other players on tour who either have a strong serve, powerful forehand or a good backhand, the talented Australian has a complete game which can trouble the top players. In the current top-10, only Rafael Nadal has a positive head-to-head against Kyrgios.
His one-two punch, where he uses his powerful serve to unsettle the opponent and then a big forehand to finish the point, is one of the best in the game. To win against Novak Djokovic, he will need to win a lot of points with that tactic.
2) Serve
Nick Kyrgios has consistently served his way out of trouble in this year’s Wimbledon. A lot of times he has finished his service games in under two minutes after bombing four aces or unreturnable serves in a row.
The Canberran has a wide range of serves from body serve to wide serve. He also considers his serve to be his favorite shot. Occasionally, he plays the underarm serve too if he is playing against a player who is standing deep behind the baseline.
If the Australian can serve big in the finals against the best returner of the game in Novak Djokovic, expect a grueling battle for the Wimbledon crown on Sunday.
1) Nick Kyrgios has a positive head-to-head against Novak Djokovic (2-0) and an excellent 5-set record
Nick Kyrgios’s ability to play his best tennis on the biggest of occasions is no longer surprising. After he beat Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon 2014 to make it to the quarterfinals, most of the top 10 players are wary of playing the controversial Australian in the Grand Slams. His ability to scale up his level in the toughest moments of the match is laudable.
Unscripted. Unfiltered. Unmissable.
#Wimbledon | @NickKyrgios https://t.co/tK5GHTWbgX
Notably, he also has an excellent record when the match stretched to five sets. He is 6-0 at SW19 since making his debut in 2014. Even if the match goes the distance, Nick Krygios will take confidence from his winning record in five-setters.