NICK KYRGIOS HOLDS OFF FERNANDO VERDASCO IN ATLANTA TENNIS QUARTERFINALS, JOHN ISNER CRUISES PAST TAYLOR FRITZ

Written by: Staff on 5th August 2016

NICK KYRGIOS HOLDS OFF FERNANDO VERDASCO IN ATLANTA TENNIS QUARTERFINALS, JOHN ISNER CRUISES PAST TAYLOR FRITZ |

@NickKyrgios fought off @FerVerdasco to reach the @BBTatlantaopen semis – Photo by @ATPWorldTour via Twitter.

By Ricky Dimon

Plenty of tennis fans wondered what Nick Kyrgios was doing when he entered the BB&T Atlanta Open, and for a while it looked like Kyrgios–himself–wondered the same thing on Friday afternoon. But the 21-year-old found enough motivation amidst scorching heat to battle past Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3 and book a spot in the semifinals after one hour and 54 minutes.

Kyrgios was just about untouchable on serve from start to finish, so the opening set all but ended when he broke Verdasco for a quick 2-1 advantage. The No. 2 seed had no trouble consolidating it, as he dropped only four points in his first five service games.

Verdasco fell into a 15-40 hole at 3-3 in the second, facing what was virtually a double match point. The 48th-ranked Spaniard dug out of it to hold before generating his only break chance of the entire match with his opponent serving at 3-4, 30-40. Kyrgios erased it with an ace and a tiebreaker eventually had to decide things. The world No. 18 neared victory by seizing a 4-2 lead only to see Verdasco take five of the next six points.

Having squandered the opportunity to snag a straight-set win, Kyrgios looked mentally and physically lost to begin the third. But he exchanged words with Verdasco after holding for 1-0 and also began jawing with a fan, incidents that stemmed from Verdasco making Kyrgios wait longer than he wanted before serving at 40-15 in the first game. That seemed to reenergize the Australian, who broke immediately for 2-0.

From there it was all over for Verdasco, who won a mere five return points in the decider. Kyrgios dropped only two points in his last three service games and closed out the match with a hold to 15 at 5-3.

“It was all mental,” Kyrgios said during his on-court interview. “It’s hot as anything out here.”

It was not as hot for the all-American nightcap between John Isner and Taylor Fritz, which was just fine for Isner because the Atlanta conditions were still perfect for his game. The three-time defending champion broke serve three times to defeat the 18-year-old Fritz 7-5, 6-4 in one hour and 22 minutes.

“It was a good win,” Isner assured. “I was feeling good; feeling healthy; feeling strong. It’s encouraging me to win matches in straight sets (with) no tiebreakers. I feel like I’m playing well from the back of the court; I’m returning well also.”

He is now 23-3 lifetime in Atlanta and has never lost prior to the semifinals in seven appearances.

“I’m just comfortable here,” Isner explained. “I enjoy being here. I do love the surface. I have so much support. If I could play every tournament here in Atlanta, I could be No. 1.”

Isner’s lone service hiccup against Fritz came at 5-4 in the opening set, but it hardly mattered because it was the second in a streak of three consecutive breaks–two of which went to the No. 1 seed. On his second chance at 6-5, Isner held at love to close out the set.

It was all but over for Fritz when he dropped serve again at 3-3 in the second. The world No. 60 led 30-0 only to commit four straight unforced errors. Isner took care of his last two service games with ease to set up a semifinal showdown against another 18-year-old American, Reilly Opelka.

Saturday’s first semifinal will pit Kyrgios against Yoshihito Nishioka, a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Horacio Zeballos.