Nick Kyrgios, of Australia, reacts to his play against Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, during the fourth round of the US Open tennis championships. (AP)“Nick [Kyrgios] today played at level of Novak [Djokovic] and Rafa [Nadal],” Danii Medvedev would say after losing to Kyrgios at US Open. “If he plays like this till the end of the tournament, he has all the chances to win it.” Kyrgious won 7-6, 3-6,6-3,6-2 to enter the quaterfinals at the US Open.
However, there was a point in the game which stunned the tennis world. It came after both players had won a set apiece and Kyrgios had the chance to go 2-0 with a break point in the third set.
well this was… odd pic.twitter.com/zl94yPmGwL
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2022
And it was his for taking as Medvedev flailed at a powerful shot and the ball was lobbing outside court, on Medvedev’s side.
But for some reason, Kyrgios, always up for something unusual, ran across to the other side, took the ball on the full from beyond the sidelines (on Medvedev’s side) and placed the ball for a ‘winner’ and headed off into a running celebration. Medvedev put up his finger as if to suggest, he can’t do that, can he?
Elway. Jordan. Sampras.
Will @NickKyrgios consider retirement if he wins the #USOpen? pic.twitter.com/kfQusAm0GN
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2022
It was ruled a foul shot by chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore and a point for Medvedev, who went on to hold the serve in that game. The chair umpire was smiling initially when Kyrgios played the shot.
You can’t do that, you cannot cross the net, the ball’s not dead yet,” Channel 9’s Todd Woodbridge observed.”What an error in judgement. That should have been break point. I’ve never seen anything like that in all my time in tennis. That is crazy.”
Kyrgios would later tell Patrick McEnroe, sitting courtside for ESPN: “I thought it was legal!”
And at the end of the game, Kyrgios would say, “Going to look like an idiot’:“I still can’t believe the boneheaded play I made over here, I thought that was legal to be honest,” he said.
“That’s going to be everywhere on SportsCenter, so I’m gonna look like an idiot.”