(Reuters) – Australian Nick Kyrgios powered past Benjamin Bonzi to reach the third round of the U.S. Open with a hard fought 7-6(3) 6-4 4-6 6-4 win over the Frenchman yesterday.
The big-serving Kyrgios struck 30 aces and won the final nine points of the match to end the punishing affair under the lights at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
“His level today was incredible, I was not expecting an absolute war,” Kyrgios said in an on-court interview.
“That could have gone either way. He was up a break early in the fourth but I played some really risky tennis late in the fourth set to win. I’m just happy to get through.”
In their first career meeting, Kyrgios unleashed some spectacular shotmaking in the tiebreak and rode an early break in the second set to take a 2-0 lead.
Bonzi responded by taking the third set and a decider appeared all but inevitable when Kyrgios trailed Love-40 while serving at 4-4 in the fourth.
“My mentality was I’m probably going to get broken. I was almost gearing myself up for a fifth set,” Kyrgios told reporters.
“In those moments I just played really low percentage. I just kind of hit a dropshot here, hit the forehand cross-court, faked him out with the underarm… it got me out of jail.”
After serving his way out of trouble he sealed the match by breaking serve for a fourth time when Bonzi, who made some acrobatic dives for balls during the match, was unable to will his shot over the net on match point.
The Kyrgios win sets up a third-round meeting with American JJ Wolf, who battled past Alejandro Tabilo 4-6 7-5 6-4 6-3 earlier in the day, and keeps alive the potential for a showdown with world number one and defending champion Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round.
