#NextGen Kyrgios Keeps Cruising In Shanghai
#NextGen Kyrgios Keeps Cruising In Shanghai
Aussie trying to make a late run to London
Nick Kyrgios kept up his blistering pace during the ATP World Tour’s Asian swing on Tuesday in Shanghai. The #NextGen star prevailed against American Sam Querrey 6-4, 6-4 in 54 minutes to move into the second round of the Shanghai Rolex Masters, the season’s eighth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament.
Kyrgios, who won his first ATP 500 level tournament on Sunday in Tokyo (d. Goffin), blasted 14 aces and didn’t face a break point against Querrey. The Aussie is playing with a career-high ranking of No. 14 and could make a run for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals yet this season. The top eight qualify for the year-end championships, to be held 13-20 Nov. at The O2 in London, and Kyrgios is currently in 12th place in the Emirates ATP Race To London, 790 points behind eighth-placed Dominic Thiem. But if Kyrgios wins Shanghai this week, he would gain 1,000 points and could join the Top 8.
Who else does Kyrgios need to catch? View the Emirates ATP Race To London standings
The title would be Kyrgios’ first Masters 1000 crown. The 21 year old reached the semi-finals of the Miami Open presented by Itau, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, in April before falling to Kei Nishikori. The top-ranked #NextGen player also made the quarter-finals of the Mutua Madrid Open, another Masters 1000 event, in May before again losing to Nishikori. But Kyrgios is 3-0 in finals, having claimed all of his titles this season (Marseille, Atlanta and Tokyo). The 12th-seeded Kyrgios will next face German Mischa Zverev, with a potential third-round contest against Czech Tomas Berdych looming.
Querrey shocked the tennis world when he upset Novak Djokovic in the third round of this year’s Wimbledon. But the 6’6” California native has struggled to find that top level since reaching the quarter-finals at the All England Club. Querrey, who recently celebrated his 29th birthday, has lost seven of his past eight matches.
His countryman Jack Sock enjoyed better results at the Qizhong Tennis Center. Sock pushed his FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Argentine Guido Pella to 3-0 with a 7-6(3), 7-5 first-round victory. Sock, No. 25 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, won 93 per cent of his first-serve points (39/42) and saved three of four break points to advance in straight sets. He’ll play Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in the second round. Lopez outlasted compatriot and 10th seed David Ferrer 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(4).
Italian Paolo Lorenzi set a second-round clash against Canadian Milos Raonic after knocking out Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-3. Lorenzi had been 0-2 against Garcia-Lopez in tour-level meetings. The 34 year old will be playing Raonic for the first time.