Before the match between Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios in Madrid on Thursday, most tennis fans probably imagined that it would come down to how well Rafa could defend against the Kyrgios attack. Or, looking at it from the other side of the net, how well Kyrgios could attack against the Rafa defense. While the Australian would try to take the racquet out of his opponent’s hand, the Spaniard would try to make his opponent hit as many balls as possible. Simple, right?
Maybe not. There was one person who appeared to disagree with that pre-match diagnosis. Nadal, who always looks a little more fired up and decisive when he plays in Madrid, was determined to force the action and take the play to his bigger-hitting opponent. Rafa finished the second point with an aggressive volley and a fist pump, and he held serve with a sharply-angled crosscourt backhand. It was a signal: Rafa was ready to take the initiative on both sides, and he would finish with 29 winners against 10 errors; eight of those winners, a high number for him, came from the backhand side.
Along the way, Nadal also found a winning tactic against Kyrgios. While the Aussie has improved his backhand, Nadal had success moving him to his forehand side, and then quickly going back to the backhand. Kyrgios wasn’t as consistent or dangerous from that side when he was stretched and on the run.
Still, Kyrgios didn’t have any trouble staying with Nadal early. He rocketed a forehand for a passing-shot winner at 1-1 that left Rafa looking a little stunned. And after being broken for 1-3, Kyrgios broke right back with a series of well-executed drop shots and a down-the-line backhand winner. As aggressive as Nadal tried to be, and as much of an advantage as he had on clay, he still couldn’t match Kyrgios’ skill at coming up with the surprise winner.
When Kyrgios broke for 2-3, it looked like we had a match. But there was also an ominous sign. Rather than celebrating, Kyrgios was grimacing as he walked off the court. He has had hip problems in the past, and he seemed to be slowed at times by another one in this match. How much it affected him is hard to say, but he appeared to check out mentally at 2-3. The game was Kyrgios in a microcosm. He won one point on a clever drop shot-passing shot combination, and another on a brilliant slice forehand that Nadal couldn’t track down. But he lost another point on a half-hearted net approach, and he double-faulted at break point. Kyrgios only won two more games. He wasn’t tanking, but he wasn’t at full intensity either, and Nadal’s 6-3, 6-1 win was ultimately anticlimactic.
