Dimitrov ousts Kyrgios to reach Open quarters

AFP

Published at 01:03 pm January 21st, 2018

Dimitrov ousts Kyrgios to reach Open quarters

Bulgaria's world No.3 Grigor Dimitrov won a gripping four-setter to knock Australia's big hope Nick Kyrgios out of the Australian Open on Sunday. Dimitrov downed the 17th seeded Kyrgios 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in 3hr 26min and will face Britain's Kyle Edmund in the quarter-finals on Tuesday. Dimitrov stepped up his campaign after a couple of indifferent wins in the earlier rounds to avenge his defeat to Kyrgios in the semi-finals of this month's Brisbane International.

Dimitrov's done it - he's into the #AusOpen quarter-finals!

A breathtaking tie break ends with him sealing a 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 win over Kyrgios ?

Live text and radio: https://t.co/wBSxG4O7EF #bbctennis pic.twitter.com/2Jag2erA0N
— BBC Tennis (@bbctennis) January 21, 2018

He won all three tiebreakers in a charged night match atmosphere on Rod Laver Arena before a capacity home crowd willing their player on. "Playing against Nick is always tricky, two weeks I lost against him," Dimitrov said. "He was serving and playing unbelievable and he fought really hard. It's one of those matches that you have to be locked in and try to get any opportunity you have. "Even when I was serving for the match I felt that I was not finding my spots very well and I'm just glad I got through that match." Kyrgios double-faulted to lose the opening set tiebreaker and was broken in the seventh game of the second set leaving the moody Australian to shake his head cussing at the changeover and uttering "embarrassing."

Grigor Dimitrov d. Nick Kyrgios 7-6(3), 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(5), 3h27, reaches the #AusOpen QFs for the 3rd time, 2nd consecutive. Was semifinalist last year.

[getty] pic.twitter.com/XvKquuLHv2
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 21, 2018

But he broke back with Dimitrov serving out for the set to bring up another tiebreaker. It was the Bulgarian's greater poise and depth of shot that carried him through with Kyrgios frequently missing the lines. The Australian broke early in the third set in his do-or-die bid to stay in the match and took the set with an ace.

Kyle Edmund is in the quarters, but how far can he go in the #AusOpen?

His potential route to the title... ???

QF - Dimitrov
SF - Nadal
Final - Federer

??: https://t.co/nyp6ctrViz pic.twitter.com/6cbXM80L1K
— BBC 5 live Sport (@5liveSport) January 21, 2018

But Dimitrov got a crucial service break in the eighth game of the fourth set when Kyrgios put a smash into the net to allow the Bulgarian to serve out for the match. The unpredictable Australian managed to break back to force a third tiebreaker. Again Dimitrov was too steady for Kyrgios, getting to three match points and winning it with a forehand pass.