mtenis.com.pl

Federer and Kyrgios face off in BNP Paribas Open quarter-finals

Roger Federer and Nick Kyrgios may seem like polar opposites in personalities and game styles, but the Swiss maestro believes they have more in common than fans may realise.

The pair will square off on Thursday for a spot in the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open. Both have weathered challenging draws to reach the last eight in Indian Wells, with Kyrgios taking out No. 18 seed Alexander Zverev and three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic, and Federer ousting fifth seed Rafael Nadal in a highly-anticipated fourth-round clash. They've also put on flawless serving displays, with neither player dropping serve this fortnight.

The high level of tennis that Kyrgios has produced this fortnight and in his semi-final run at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel has left fans hopeful that he will consistently post strong results in the biggest tournaments. But Federer, who won his first Grand Slam title at age 21, believes the 21-year-old Kyrgios has long been on a promising track to success.

“I think he's more established than I was back then already, because he's already beaten great players for a while now,” said Federer. “I don't think I was doing as great as he was. I didn't have that big of a game, per se, with the serve and everything.

“I feel like Nick and me, we have a lot of options, so it’s hard for us to always pick the right one,” he added. “I don’t want to say I was a late bloomer. I don’t think I was…[but] I think both our games need a bit more time on the mental side and physical side.”

Federer’s cool demeanour on court makes it easy to forget that he too was once a fiery teenager who at times found it difficult to channel his emotions. Knowing his own weaknesses, Federer even dropped then-coach Peter Lundgren at the end of a highly successful 2003 season, saying they had gotten “too cosy” and that he wanted to avoid complacency. Like Kyrgios, he also spent time traveling without a coach.

After years of tinkering, the Swiss star eventually found what worked best for him. And after watching Kyrgios’ form over the past month, he’s confident the Aussie will do the same as well.
“I'm very impressed with him taking out Novak, back-to-back weeks, on Novak's best surface,” said Federer. “I hope it's going to lead to something great for Nick and that he realises if he puts his head down and focuses, he can bring it day in and day out, week in and week out.

“That's maybe going to take a bit more time, but that's why he can win tournaments,” he added. “When it matters the most against the best players and in finals, he's there. That's a great quality to have already now.”

Federer and Kyrgios have only had one previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting, with the Aussie saving a match point to prevail in a titanic 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 7-6(12) battle at the 2015 Mutua Madrid Open. But with Federer riding a wave of confidence on hard courts this season, he’s eager to turn the tables.
“I had to waste a match point and lose that match. I was like, ‘What a waste.’ That’s how I felt,” said Federer. “But I’m looking forward to this match. Of course, I’d love to get him back.”