Sick Kyrgios out of Indian Wells clash with Federer

I was trying to find solutions.

For so long, Roger Federer’s one-handed backhand had been a disadvantage that Rafa was able to pummel into submission, hitting lefty high ball forehands to it, in an uncomfortable range that bothered Federer’s form. “He’s the greatest player of all time. So it just depends on him and his commitment to the sport”.

But now, finally, the 21-year-old looks to be on the right track and his impressive showing at the Paribas Open have put him in the headlines for the right reasons.

Nick Kyrgios’s impenetrable serve faces its sternest test when the Australian takes on Roger Federer and tennis’s deadliest shot in pursuit of a coveted place in the Indian Wells Masters on Saturday.

“On his first serves, to try to anticipate and read his serve, where he’s going to go 140 miles per hour down the T and also pretty good angle wide, it’s hard to position yourself well … it is a gamble”.

KESQ and CBS Local 2 will have full BNP Paribas Open coverage leading up to Sunday’s finals. “It was a really good performance by me, I thought”. But he’s got to want to do that.

“It’s just another match for me”. I can’t believe for his size how well he can move, how explosive. “I didn’t hold when I had the opportunity and all of sudden those games kind of slipped away”. The Swiss then took a 4-1 lead before sealing the set and continued to press in the second, keeping Nadal on his heels. “I can tell you that”, Federer said.

“Six months off past year was really hard, I must say”.

“I don’t think I’m a bad guy at all”, he said.

Rafael Nadal’s post-match summary was as flat as his game.

The 2015 Basel Open final, which has now come to be the indicator of a pivotal turnabout in both players’ careers, was then considered an isolated eventuality, more on coincidental lines much like their Australian Open final.

Meanwhile, Kyrgios is 7-3 for the year and is eager to bounce back from a frustrating 2016, where his emotions often got the better of him, leading to a suspension and a number of fines.

Federer, for his part, still remembers that loss to Kyrgios on his boys’ birthday.

“It’s his style”, Djokovic said.

Nadal extended his winning streak in Acapulco to 13 matches with a 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 defeat of Yoshihito Nishioka. I’m sorry to the fans that I’m unable to take to the court but I have to put my health first and I hope you understand.

Ultimately, service breaks will sparse in this quarterfinal.

But it wasn’t serve alone that won Kyrgios this match.

Djokovic was the first to fall, in the face of non-stop offense from world No 16 Kyrgios.

Nadal defeated Federer over five sets – 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2.

“Yeah, I don’t know what happened”. I have played a lot more matches. It’s completely different conditions from Madrid clay to Indian Wells in the desert. So Novak played two singles matches between Roger’s two matches. His serve had not been broken and he had not lost a set. “That’s a great quality to have already now”, he added.