Rafael Nadal reprimands Nick Kyrgios - "He has no respect for fans, opponents and himself"
Rafael Nadal found clear words after losing to Nick Kyrgios in the second round of the ATP Tour 500 tournament in Acapulco.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Feb 28, 2019, 06:11 pm
Anyone who asked themselves at the ATP Finals in London last year why the mood didn't really want to be refreshed was presented with the answer from Wednesday to Thursday at the latest. With a close look at Acapulco. Because there Rafael Nadal brought his own intensity to the court, swept the audience along, drove his opponent to the best possible performance.
Nadal was missing in London due to injury. And he will also be absent from Acapulco, due to the loss to Nick Kyrgios. Which was not well received by the Spaniard. After the match, Nadal said to his conqueror: "He has enormous talent, could win Grand Slam tournaments to play for number one. But he lacks respect for the audience, the opponent and himself. "
Kyrgios also dares to insult majesty
What the two players had previously conjured up on the court in the second round of the ATP Tour 500 tournament can be summarized without hesitation as the most intense tennis match in 2019. Which was mainly due to Kyrgios, who often unpacks his best tennis against Nadal. And which is not too good for one or the other insult to majesty. Like a service from below.
The fact that the Australian as a high-speed player is the exact opposite of Rafael Nadal, who likes to savor the 25 seconds to which he is entitled, gave the match that Kyrgios won 3: 6, 7: 6 (2) and 7 after 3:03 hours: 6 (6) won, additional appeal. So much so that the handshake after the match ball had what it takes to cool the heated atmosphere in the stadium to below zero degrees.
Nadal shows nerves in the tie-break
Nadal, who clearly had the sympathy of the fans, should have won the match. The tournament favorite developed ten break chances and could only use one. What would have mattered, Nadal would have been able to use one of his three match balls in the tiebreak of the third set.
Above all, the second and third chances have to hurt the Spaniard afterwards: First, the net band helped with a backhand volley from Kyrgios, then a Spaniard's passing ball missed the sideline only by a nuance. The fact that Nadal made a double error at 6: 6 can be booked as an outlier at the worst possible time.
On the other hand Nick Kyrgios, who has finally played a whole tennis match again. The Australian is also known to have the potential to be a driving force, but lacks the tireless fighting power of Nadal. Which this has put in a nutshell.