Australia’s controversial Nick Kyrgios and Frenchman Richard Gasquet set-up a
Wimbledon last-16 clash after knocking out last year’s semi-finalists Milos
Raonic and Grigor Dimitrov on Friday, AFP reports.
Kyrgios, who famously defeated Rafael Nadal in 2014 when he was ranked
144 in the world, avenged his quarter-final loss of 12 months ago to Raonic
with a 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 third round victory over the seventh
seed.
The 20-year-old Kyrgios hit 34 aces and blasted 61 winners.
“I lost my focus a bit towards the end of the first set, but I knew what
my game plan was and I stuck to it. I toughed it out,” Kyrgios said.
“Last year I tried to hit too many winners off his serve. This time I went
to the chipped approach and it worked.”
Kyrgios faces another rematch in the fourth round against Gasquet after
beating the Frenchman in a dramatic five-setter in the second round last year.
“Last year I came from two sets down against him, but he is a savvy
veteran and beat Dimitrov in straight sets today so he must be playing well,”
said the 26th seeded Australian.
Gasquet, a semi-finalist in 2007 and seeded 21 this year, beat 11th seeded
Dimitrov 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Dimitrov had defeated 2013 champion Andy Murray on his way to the semi-
finals last year, but Friday’s defeat extended a disappointing Grand Slam
season for the 24-year-old Bulgarian who was beaten in the fourth round at
the Australian Open before a first round exit at Roland Garros.
Fourth seed Stan Wawrinka reached the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
win over Fernando Verdasco for his first win over the Spaniard in 10 years.
French Open champion Wawrinka will take on Belgium’s David Goffin for a
place in the quarter-finals.
Goffin, the 16th seed, became only the fourth Belgian man to make the fourth
round in the Open Era by defeating 2006 semi-finalist Marcos Baghdatis
6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
It was 24-year-old Goffin’s first win over the Cypriot in four meetings and
he has now equalled his best performance at the majors after also making the
last 16 at the 2012 French Open as a lucky loser.
“I knew I had the game to make some results on grass that I didn’t in the
past. This year I came from the clay, I came with a lot of confidence on
grass,” said Goffin who made the final on grass at ‘s-Hertogenbosch last
month.
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