Nick Kyrgios has now detailed the one outstanding thing that Alexander Zverev did today.
The German was imperious as he booked his spot in the Australian Open, slaying the number two seed Carlos Alcaraz with relative ease, 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-3.
In fact, his dominant performance was owed to one particular area of expertise, which the Australian player-turned-pundit outlined.
But what was it that helped Zverev to such a historic win? Let’s take a closer look…
What Nick Kyrgios said about Alexander Zverev
The 26-year-old has now set up a semi-final clash with Russian rival Daniil Medvedev after coming through against Alcaraz.
Having started superbly, racing into a one set lead in just over half an hour, the ease with which he pinned back the 2023 Wimbledon champion was owed to one key asset.
His superb first serve percentage.
Throughout the match he seldom missed his first chance to put the two-time Grand Slam winner under pressure, and Kyrgios was left stunned afterwards when speaking about the accomplishment.
He would tell Eurosport: ‘It was definitely some flawless tennis from his side. He finished the match with 85% first serve percentage. And serving that big against a returner like Alcaraz is absurd. As a good server myself I don’t think I have ever served at 85%.’
To gain that kind of praise from Kyrgios is huge for Zverev, as the 28-year-old boasted one of the best serves on tour before his injury struggles.
Alexander Zverev’s rivalry with Daniil Medvedev is renewed
Whilst many will be sad to see the ever-positive and always smiling Alcaraz leave the Australian Open, it does set up a mouth-watering clash between two old rivals.
Kyrgios himself has already delighted in one growing rivalry already this tournament.
For fans of the Netflix show Break Point, they were treated first-hand to just how Medvedev’s mind games worked against the world number six.
So, it will be interesting to see if he resorts to them again, and if he does, how effective they prove to be.
Of their 18 meetings Zverev has only managed seven wins, the bulk of which came before 2020. Since then, it has been all Medvedev.
One match that springs to mind is their Monte Carlo clash in 2023, which saw the two really come to blows. Post-match, Zverev described his opponent as ‘one of the most unfair players in the world,’ as he fell apart due to a series of unorthodox and somewhat unethical practises.
Friday is set to be tantalising in both respects, with the men’s semi-finals perfectly poised.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
