Nick Kyrgios made history at Citi Open by registering triumphs in the singles and doubles. The finalist beat Yoshihito Nishioka 6-4 6-3 in the men’s singles final in Washington. He later returned to the court soon after to register a win in the doubles final together with Jack Sock.
It was a victorious return to the US capital for the Australian, where he won the men’s singles trophy in 2019 in his last ATP Tour title. However, last year was not so successful for him as he stumbled out of the tournament in the first round last year.
Kyrgios had lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets in the All England Club finals in what could be one of the best tennis matches of the year. He only needed 81 minutes to overcome Japanese Yoshito Nishioka. He later returned to Stadium Court at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center to partner with a fourth-seeded duo of Austin Krajicek and Ivan Dodig 7-5 6-4.
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Superb Performance
He put on a superb show in the singles, where he only dropped one set in five matches; not one of his serves was broken, and he had the highest aces in the tournament after registering 96. After the finals, the Australian said it was a very emotional moment for him. He also reiterated that he had made progress based on where he was last year.
This was his seventh career ATP title. It was also his first in three years, weeks after an astonishing run to the Wimbledon final. Moreover, the win made him the first Australian in history to win several titles in the American capital.
Kyrgios claimed he knew he had the advantage of experience because he had played several good matches on the court. He also revealed that he’s experienced some tough times and was happy to turn the corner.
Kyrgios Was Eying Something Else
He is currently on track to gain singles seeding for the US Open that will begin in New York on August 29. Nick Kyrgios’ victory in DC helped him move to 37th in the world. The top 32 are principally protected from coming up against a top opponent in the first round in Queens. His next match will be against Argentina’s Sebastian Baez in the Montreal Open’s first round.
By reaching the final, he was able to move from 63rd to 42nd. Then, winning the tournament ensured he climbed to the 37th position. As a result, he would have to wait and see how many pros would opt out for various reasons. For instance, some could be rehabilitating from injury, or there are those who don’t want to get vaccinated for the coronavirus. These events could affect his men’s singles rankings globally.
It’s a Turnaround for the Australian
Kyrgios has not spent much of his 10-year pro career caring about rankings; at least, he has not professed to care. But, he has shifted his focus. He is now aspiring to make the most of his talent.
He is a former number one junior that has performed beyond expectations recently. For instance, although he lost to Novak Djokovic, he outplayed him in the early parts of the match. This performance must have been a confidence booster for the Australian.
There are several top competitions lined up before the US Open. The two notable tournaments are Western & Southern Open Cincinnati, USA, and Winston-Salem Open Winston-Salem, USA.
Women’s Singles
Liudmila Samsonova overcame Kaia Kanepi in the Women’s singles final, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, to win the 2022 Washington Open. She was aspiring to win her first title since the 2022 Washington Open. Furthermore, she also wanted to be the oldest player to win the WTA Tour title since Serena Williams in 2020. The defending champion, Jessica Pegula, dropped out in the second round after losing to Daria Saville.
Women’s Doubles
Jessica Pegual and Erin Routliffe overcame defending champion Caty McNally alongside her partner Anna Kalinskaya in the women’s doubles, 6-3, 5-7, [12-10]. The reigning champions Coco Gauff and McNally could not feature because Gauff did not participate in the tournament.
Final Thoughts
The sky’s the limit for Kyrgios in the coming days. He has already set the standards very high for himself and needs to just keep improving. Based on his most recent history there is no doubting that he has what it takes to keep improving.
