GettyImages-1403093293

In a third-round heavyweight battle, world No. 40 Nick Kyrgios and world No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas will duke it out for the second time in three weeks. These two clashed in Halle on June 15, when Kyrgios earned a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory. The Australian is now 3-1 in four career meetings with the Greek star, with the two splitting wins in Laver Cup and ATP Cup matches. So Kyrgios is 2-0 against Tsitsipas at tournament level, and he will be eager to make a statement once again.

Kyrgios turned some heads when he claimed he is one of the best players in the world on grass a few weeks ago, but the Australian has done nothing but back up that statement. Kyrgios is 9-2 on grass in 2022, and the losses came against Andy Murray and Hubert Hurkacz—no shame there. Now, the Australian will look to continue racking up big victories while also trying to produce his best-ever result at a Grand Slam. The 27-year-old has never made it to the semifinals at a major, but he has the ability to change that in London.

Advertising

This match-up isn’t an easy one for Kyrgios, but Wimbledon has given Tsitsipas some trouble in the past. While Tsitsipas has been to the semifinals of the Australian Open three times and made it to the French Open final in 2021, he has never gone further than the fourth round in London. His 55.6% winning percentage in tour-level grass-court matches is also the worst of the three surfaces he has played on the ATP, by far.

With Tsitsipas not being at his best on grass, it just shouldn’t surprise anybody if Kyrgios finds a way to beat him again here—which is why he's favored. The Australian has one of the best serves in the world, and there aren’t many players better than him when he is motivated. He certainly looks to be playing with some fire in London right now, and he even said that he was out to remind everyone that he’s “pretty good” after his straight-set win over Filip Krajinovic last match.

All in all, Kyrgios’ serve and power should ultimately make the difference in this match. He should see more break point chances in this match, and his booming serve gives him the edge in the event they go to any tiebreakers. It also just feels like Kyrgios is in the midst of a special run in London, and he should be eager to keep it rolling against a player that isn’t all that confident on this surface.

The Pick: Kyrgios To Win (-140)