Nick Kyrgios will be seeded for the US Open after winning his ninth straight singles match, this time against fellow Australian Alex de Minaur at the Canadian Open on Thursday (local time).
On the back of beating world number one Daniil Medvedev in the round of 32, Kyrgios proved far too strong for De Minaur, winning their first ever match against one another 6-2 6-3.
The latest victory was criticial for the 27-year-old, who has secured another jump in his ranking when they are updated next week.
Kyrgios will be ranked inside the top 30 going into the US Open meaning he will be seeded for the Grand Slam tournament and avoid facing a top-ranked opponent early on.
“It was a goal, more so I didn’t get one of the big titans or gods first round,” Kyrgios said post-match.
“I can actually work my way into the draw if the draw’s kind.
“But look, I always feel my game is right there and no matter who I play. Today I felt amazing and hopefully I can keep that going.”
A Kyrgi-diculous performance 😲@NickKyrgios defeats De Minaur 6-2 6-3 and is 21-3 since June!#OBN22 pic.twitter.com/7icinULMDi
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 11, 2022
While Kyrgios swept past De Minaur in straight sets, he admitted it wasn’t easy to back up after beating the world number one and then trying to take down someone he considers a friend.
“Incredibly tough. After yesterday’s big high, obviously playing Daniil and the crowd was amazing, it was a day I’ll probably never ever forget,” Kyrgios said post-match.
“Today was really tough mentally. For me to play Alex, we’re such good friends, and he’s been having such a good career so far and carrying the Australian flag for so long.
“It was just tough mentally. Never easy to play a friend, especially if they’re an Australian, so I just got out here and got the job done.
“I played the way I had to play. He’s a hell of a player, if you play into his strengths, he’s one of the best players from the back in the game. He’s going to have one hell of a career.”
Kyrgios will now face eighth-seed Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals of the Canadian Open on Friday (local time).
The duo played each other in the semi-finals of the Halle Open in June with Hurkacz triumphing in a tight match 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-4) and going on to win the tournament.
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