Nick Kyrgios has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons so far during Wimbledon given his on-court antics, but in tomorrow's fourth round he'll be looking to prove that he is the real deal. However, it's not going to be easy for Kyrgios, as in form Frenchman Richard Gasquet stands in the way of him reaching his second Wimbledon quarterfinal.
20-year-old Nick Kyrgios is coming into the fourth round playing some inspired tennis. In the first and second round he didn't drop a single set., defeating Schwartman and Juan Monaco. The real test came in the third round, as he was up against 8th seed Milos Raonic. Kyrgios didn't let his opponent faze him whatsoever, as the Aussie stormed to a four set victory, serving 34 aces along the way. He had overpowered Raonic, and got his revenge on the Canadian, after he was defeated in the quarterfinals last year.
Richard Gasquet is coming into the match without dropping a set. The Frenchman's first and second round wins came to Saville and De Schepper, but like Kyrgios, a tougher test awaited in the third round. Gasquet knocked out last year's semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov in a crushing straight set victory. Despite the Bulgarian's bumpy season, beating one of the players that's tipped to be the new big thing is no easy feat. He even extended his unbeaten record against him.
Gasquet and Kyrgios have played three times before, with Gasquet leading the head-to-head 2-1. In their last meeting, the Frenchman beat Kyrgios in the final of the Estoril Open on clay. However, in the meeting before that, Kyrgios came through a hugely exciting five set in the second round at the All England Club, 10-8 in the fifth against Gasquet. Even though their last meeting went firmly in the Frenchman's favour, the Australian is sure to be a lot more competitive tomorrow, given that the surface is grass, which allows him to showcase his best game.
Kyrgios will have to make sure his serve is rock solid as it has been throughout The Championships so far. The Aussie has hit 50 aces and just 26 unforced errors in his last two matches, which prove just how in-form this young gun is at the moment. Good returning will be the most critical aspect of Gasquet's game. "He's a tough opponent because he has such a great serve. And to return him on grass, it's very difficult." said the Frenchman.
Despite the Australian's imposing game and intimidating nature, Gasquet doesn't seem daunted. After all, he's hoping that his experience prevails. Kyrgios is looking for just his third appearance in a grand slam quarterfinal. “Of course it's revenge," explained the 29-year-old.
It's sure to be a battle, but right now, Nick Kyrgios is fired up and ready for the challenge. He's also not one to get daunted by an occasion, so if he can keep his game where he wants it to be, with huge serves and precise yet powerful groundstrokes, he will edge Gasquet.
Prediction: Nick Kyrgios in five sets.