On Fire Kyrgios Downs Isner To Set Up Zverev Mexican Open Final Date
2nd March 2019
The unpredictable Australian, who seemed rattled at times by hostile fans in his victories over Nadal and Wawrinka, played happily to the crowd on Friday
- Nick Kyrgios continued his scintillating run at the Mexico Open on Friday, downing third-seeded John Isner in three sets to book a title showdown with world number three Alexander Zverev
- Australia's Kyrgios, the former world number 13 who has slipped to 72nd in the rankings, defeated Isner 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (9/7)
- Kyrgios, 23, reached his first ATP final since capturing his fourth trophy in Brisbane in January 2018
ACAPULCO, Mexico-
Nick Kyrgios continued his scintillating run at the Mexico Open on Friday,
downing third-seeded John Isner in three sets to book a title showdown with
world number three Alexander Zverev.
Australia's Kyrgios, the former world number 13 who has
slipped to 72nd in the rankings, defeated Isner 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (9/7), following
victories over 17-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal and three-time Grand
Slam winner Stan Wawrinka.
Kyrgios, 23, reached his first ATP final since capturing his
fourth trophy in Brisbane in January 2018.
Second-seeded German Zverev powered into his first final of
the year with a 7-6 (7/0), 6-3 victory over Britain's Cameron Norrie.
Two nights after he saved three match points in a final-set
tiebreaker against Nadal, Kyrgios converted his third match point with a drop
shot from the baseline, sealing the win after two hours and 21 minutes.
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He broke Isner in the penultimate game of the opening set,
and Isner returned the favor late in the second. Neither mustered a break point
in the third.
"I was just trying to take care of my serve, that's
really all you can do against John," said Kyrgios, who had the edge on
Isner in aces with 25 to the big-serving American's 24.
The unpredictable Australian, who seemed rattled at times by
hostile fans in his victories over Nadal and Wawrinka, played happily to the
crowd on Friday.
"It's insane," he said. "One point they were
cheering my name, another point they were booing me. It's just
entertainment."
Zverev, 21, is playing just his second tournament of the
year after crashing out of the fourth round of the Australian Open.
He hasn't dropped a set all week, and was convincing against
the 64th-ranked Norrie.
Unable to serve out the first set, Zverev raced through the
tiebreaker and quickly seized a 3-0 lead in the second set, relying on a strong
baseline game and 10 aces.
"It was very tough. It was pretty windy out here, not
easy conditions, and his game actually I think fits the wind quite well, so it
was not easy," Zverev said. "I'm just happy to be through."
In women's semi-final action, China's Wang Yafan ousted
third-seeded Croatian Donna Vekic 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 to reach her first WTA Tour
final.
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She'll face fifth-seeded American Sofia Kenin, who defeated
Canadian Bianca Andreescu 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.
After dropping the first set Wang -- 24 and ranked 65th in
the world -- squeaked through in a second set that featured just one hold of
serve.
Although 28th-ranked Vekic converted all six of her break
points against Wang, 39 unforced errors ultimately proved too much to overcome
and Wang didn't face a break point in the final set.
Kenin will be looking for her second title of 2019, having
broken through for her first WTA crown at Hobart in January.