NICK KYRGIOS, DUSTIN BROWN SET UP WIMBLEDON SHOWDOWN, AND TAYLOR FRITZ FALLS TO STAN THE MAN WAWRINKA & HIS GRASS COURT COACH RICHARD KRAJICEK

Written by: Staff on 28th June 2016

NICK KYRGIOS, DUSTIN BROWN SET UP WIMBLEDON SHOWDOWN, AND TAYLOR FRITZ FALLS TO STAN THE MAN WAWRINKA & HIS GRASS COURT COACH RICHARD KRAJICEK

epa05395906 Nick Kyrgios of Australia returns to Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic during their first round match of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 28 June 2016. EPA/HANNAH MCKAY EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO COMMERCIAL SALES |

By Ricky Dimon

Get your popcorn ready for Thursday at Wimbledon, because that’s when Nick Kyrgios and Dustin Brown will be going head-to-head for a place in the third round. That mouth-watering matchup became a reality after Brown edged Dusan Lajovic 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 and Kyrgios took care of Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-3, 6-7(9), 6-1 on Tuesday afternoon.

“I used to play challengers with Dustin,” Kyrgios reflected. “But I feel like we started to get close obviously last year (at the) IPTL. That event was unbelievable. I still talk to everyone that went to that event. Me and Dustin have been mates for a long time now. I’m a massive fan of his tennis.

Dustin Brown of Germany during his second round match against Dusan Lajovic of Serbia at the Wimbledon Championships, All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 28 June 2016 EPA/ANDY RAIN

“That’s another tough [match]; especially on the grass. I think he just waits for this time of the year. He’s a good friend of mine as well. When you’re playing a guy like Dustin, you hope it’s not a day when he’s feeling it, he can’t miss, he’s enjoying it. When he’s playing like that, we all know what he can do–what he’s capable of. He’s a great player. [Also], he’s exciting. I’m ready to have fun out there with him…. It’s (going to be) a circus.”

Stan Wawrinka did his best to prevent such an atmosphere from developing in his first-round match against Taylor Fritz. The 18-year-old put up an impressive fight and showed signs of turning this one into an absolute thriller when he took the third set in a tiebreaker, but Wawrinka steadied the ship to prevail 7-6(4), 6-1, 7-6(2), 6-4 in two hours and 23 minutes.

The fifth-ranked Swiss dropped serve only once despite putting in only 54 percent of his first deliveries. He earned five breaks of Fritz while winning more than half of his second-serve return points.

Taylor Fritz of the US returns to Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland during their first round match of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 28 June 2016. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA

“It felt great,” the American said when asked about the experience of facing a two-time major champion on Court 1 at the All-England Club. ” It was really good to step onto the court. I was really happy with the fact that I didn’t really [let it] bother me. I wasn’t nervous. So that was something I was worried about, maybe to step out there and lock up, but that wasn’t the case at all. It felt pretty comfortable on the court.”

“He’s young.” Wawrinka said of Fritz. “Playing really well, for sure. (I) practiced with him in Madrid. He has a great potential, for sure. He has a good game; really talented. Strong serve. Good backhand. Yeah, for sure is the future of the tennis. But we have to see how he’s going to improve the next few years. He’s still also younger than the other players. It’s going to be interesting to see.”

As for the fourth seed, we will see him in the last 64 against Juan Martin Del Potro after the Argentine rolled over Stephane Robert 6-1, 7-5, 6-0.