Nick Kyrgios Nick Kyrgios finds another reason to love tennis • Kyrgios wins last match of the US Open tune-up in Washington
• Fifth-seed reached Washington in three sets against Sam Querrey Nick Kyrgios of Australia enjoys the applause after defeating Sam Querrey of the US in their fourth-round match at the Western & Southern Open. Photograph: Andrew Dermody/USA Today Sports
Nick Kyrgios found another reason to love tennis on Friday when he reached the Western & Southern Open quarter-finals by beating Sam Querrey in Cincinnati.
The Australian second seed played brilliantly to beat the American American 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to earn a berth in the last eight of the hard-court tournament.
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“This has definitely been the best week I’ve had in a while,” Kyrgios said after reaching his first quarter-final in Cincinnati since 2015. “Overall it’s been the best week of tennis I’ve played for a while. I’m happy to be back playing like that.”
Kyrgios beat Querrey on the same court at Washington last month in the first round of the Rogers Cup but it was the American who was the aggressor against the Australian player in Friday’s opening set.
Querrey won seven consecutive games to take the first set before Kyrgios bounced back in the second. The third set belonged to Kyrgios, as he broke for a 4-2 lead, held for 5-2 and then broke for 6-5, served it out and won with a booming forehand winner.
Afterward Kyrgios stayed on court for a long time to celebrate with his coaching staff and there were many times he let out another “tennis” sound effect.
Kyrgios now faces the third-seeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa, who upset the fifth-seeded Rafael Nadal 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.