In men's tennis, the time to draw some conclusions after the first quarter seems appropriate. Of course, there is mostly about Roger Federer and his rejuvenating tennis display. But, amongst the youngest, Nick Kyrgios is the one who deserves some praises for his brand new approach. The outdoor swing on the American hardcourt is putting Nick Kyrgios in a positive light, a new slot where he never was before. This week, he is leading the Aussie pack in the Davis Cup rubber against the United States. And the most thrilling part is that he's raising to the occasion.
After the first day, Australia leads the United States by 2-0 having Kyrgios in the spotlight.
Kyrgios was too strong for John Isner
The best out of five matches rubber kicked off having Jordan Thompson against Jack Jock, the best ranked American player. Even so, the home crowd favorite Thompson dispatched Jock by three sets to one putting Australia in front. Kyrgios added an extra point for his country at the end of 3 sets against John Isner. When two big servers are on a collision course the odds in favor for a tight match are rather high. The first set was the only one with breaks of serve on the both sides. Eventually, Kyrgios claimed the opener by 7-5. The next two sets went both to a tie-break where Kyrgios kept his nerves in the box outpacing Isner.
After the Davis Cup chooses his winners of this particular stage, Kyrgios will set things in motion for the European clay court swing. It's a real challenge standing ahead as he must adjust his game to the slowest surface of all.
Clay court means a 100% commitment level
Unlike outdoor hard or grass where a big server like Kyrgios can easily rely on his ability to generate power from his racket head, the clay court requires a deeper approach in order to hit through the opponent's defensive.
Clay is about a certain level of cleverness and endurance and how a player can find a proper balance between his skills. Perhaps that's the reason of having an extended clay swing with so many big tournaments included. There are three Masters 1000 events and a Grand Slam out there in the field. Ranked 16th in the world, Kyrgios is definitely in a position that might allow high to grow bigger and stronger this year.
His long-expected clash with Federer in Miami's semifinal might have been just the beginning of a new rivalry in men's tennis, and it'll go down as one of the best matches of the season. Despite all those dark sides of his personality, the 21-year-old Aussie remains the leading violin of the new generation.
