Gasquet played a brilliant game against 11 seed Grigor Dimitrov on Centre Court. Raonic then likewise rose to the occasion, fending off two break points in a row with his forehand, holding serve and nerve. But the Swiss held, as he would against all four break points he faced in the match. It’s at the stage where, if I want to be in the top five in the world, I need to work had.
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Their clash might have been perceived as a sharp contrast to the Centre Court purists’ paradise of Gasquet versus Dimitrov. “My first time I’m winning on that court, so it’s a great feeling for me”. Closing with a flourish, Kyrgios cracked three aces to level the match in style.
“I thought she said something like, Pull your head in or something”, he said. “That’s just how it is”. I had chances. You know, once you miss those opportunities, especially on grass… I don’t mind Taylor Swift but that was all he was playing. The first three sets were incredibly close. As a joke, Kyrgios retreated all the way to the back screen to receive.
Watson then broke Williams in the opening game of the third set. Raonic served 18 aces.
After Kyrgios took a third set tiebreak, the writing was on the wall for Raonic. The second set was actually going with serve while all of this was taking place.
“I had too many of my own things to be concerned about”, he said. “The guys don’t expect you to go big”.
Squinting into sun while serving at 5-6, Kyrgios sprayed a double fault deep to face triple set point. “I turn it on for the Grand Slams, they’re the reason I play”. Maybe not. But would I watch it? That does not necessarily mean that the Australian will win a major first, but it does imply that he will be in contention more often, and that he will enjoy a more rewarding career – provided, that is, that he keeps the lid on his temper.
Once again it was the energy and animation of Kyrgios that served up something different in a week where the top seeds are still content to plot their way into the next phase. “If it was to go into a fifth, I would have still felt confident”. He’s a magician from back there.
The victory was the first time the youngster had beaten his Canadian opponent in their previous two encounters and it also helped avenge the quarter-final defeat he suffered at the hands of the same player in 2014.
Serve is the same answer Gasquet gave the press.
His practices are noticeably more packed when he takes to court than in years past, and the gasps of approval when he plays are testament to his remarkable brand of attacking, full-blooded tennis, tempered as it is with angles, touch and not a little net play as the occasion demands.
“I’m just going to have the same mindset”, said Kyrgios of his next match. “I think overall I played a really, really good match”.
“He won Raonic today”.
Kyrgios next faces Gasquet, who thoroughly dominated Dimitrov in a match between two players with classic one-handed backhands.
No. 14 Kevin Anderson and No. 16 David Goffin also won in straight sets. Asked if she was any good at the Italian game, Sharapova responded: “Terrible”.
When the tournament started, Raonic was considered to be one of the favorites to win the championship, outside of the sport’s “Big Four” and French Open victor Stan Wawrinka.
Courtside coaching is banned when it comes from a member of a player’s entourage, and tips from spectators are probably best usually left alone.
“I thought he was key in the match”.
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“We’ve been facing each other a long time”, said the 16th-seeded Venus, who eliminated 82nd-ranked Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia 6-3, 6-2.
