Day 8 Preview: Nadal Goes Up Against Kyrgios In The Quarterfinals

The stars have finally aligned in the California desert after a two-year wait for the latest installment of the Rafael Nadal vs. Nick Kyrgios rivalry. On Thursday, the BNP Paribas Open’s quarter-final action will be headlined by the pair’s seventh tour-level clash.

The ATP Head2Head series between the two is 5-3 in favor of Nadal, but the Australian has found some vintage form in California and has yet to drop a set this week. Three-time champion Nadal may have dropped a frame in the second round of Indian Wells after being pushed to the limit by Sebastian Korda, but the famous Spaniard is still undefeated in 2022 in the only department that matters — winning matches. A win over Kyrgios would bring him to 19-0 on the season, extending his personal best start.

Indian Wells graphic for the quarterfinals

“I’m thrilled to win, no matter how many sets it takes,” Nadal said after beating Reilly Opelka in two tie-breaks in the fourth round on Wednesday.

Of course, being in the quarter-finals makes me pleased

That was my tournament’s finest match.

Reilly is a very difficult player, so I did what I had to do.”

Due to previous clashes with Kyrgios, the 21-time Grand Slam champion is apprehensive of the wild card’s threat to his unbeaten streak. On his journey to the last eight, the Australian has beaten Sebastian Baez, Federico Delbonis, and World No. 8 Casper Ruud, and has a reputation of upping his game even more when facing Nadal.

“Nick is playing fantastic,” Nadal added. “He’s one of the Tour’s hardest opponents.” When he is motivated, everyone knows how good he is. It will be a nice test and a good challenge for me.”

Jannik Sinner, Kyrgios’ fourth-round opponent, withdrew due to sickness on Wednesday, but the Australian will carry the momentum of his first three straight-set victory into the quarter-final matchup. As he seeks his first ATP Masters 1000 title and first at any level since 2019, the wild card has spoken frankly about the positive mindset that fuels his performances in Indian Wells.

“I know what I’m capable of,” Kyrgios stated after defeating Ruud in the third round. “I believe everyone feels the same way. It all depends on whether I put my mind to it. I’m feeling revitalized. “All I know is that I’m here, that I’m thrilled, and that I’m ready to give it my all in every match.”

The winner will be pitted against either defending champion Cameron Norrie or Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals.

The second quarter-final in the top half of the draw features two of the best players on the Tour meeting for the first time since the Spaniard won the US Open in straight sets in 2021.

Norrie was thrilled to return to the scene of his most famous victory for Wednesday’s fourth-round win against dangerous American Jenson Brooksby after turning his season around after starting 2022 with four straight defeats. The Brit appeared to be buoyed by thoughts of his previous encounter on Stadium 1, in which he defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili to win his first Masters 1000 championship in the 2021 final, but he is ready for another tough battle against Spanish prodigy Alcaraz.

Obviously, I enjoy playing on this court
Norrie remarked after dispatching Brooksby

“Physically, I’m in fantastic shape, and I like the conditions here, but the last time I saw him [Alcaraz], I was totally smacked.”

He’s one of the top up-and-coming players, incredibly good on both sides, and he recently won [an ATP 500 event].

So he’s confident, and it’ll be a tough fight, but [I’m] looking forward to getting some vengeance on him.”

A task made more difficult by the fact that Alcaraz’s level appears to have only climbed since that August meeting in New York. That progress, according to the Rio Open presented by Claro champion, is due to hard off-court conditioning work, which allows him to stay at the top of his game for longer.

“My squad and I understand the importance of being physically strong,” the 18-year-old stated earlier this week. “We understood that was something I needed to work on a lot. During the preseason, it was a major focus. I’m pretty pleased with myself. It boosts my self-assurance. During a three- or four-hour battle against the best players, I have a better chance of maintaining my level.”

Against Norrie’s rock-solid game, this consistency will be put to the test. After defeating Gael Monfils in straight sets in the fourth round, Alcaraz commented, “I’m going to be satisfied if I retain the level [from tonight].” “However, I always tell people that they can develop and perform better every day.”

Seeds No. 2 As the doubles quarter-finals wrap up on Thursday, Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury take on No. 7 team Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski, their first seeded opponents of the tournament.

Ram and Salisbury are aiming to add to their first Masters 1000 title, which they won last year in Toronto. The American-British team followed that up with a US Open victory in September, but in their two prior visits in Indian Wells, they failed to make the quarterfinals. Ram has had previous success in the California desert, having won the championship with Raven Klaasen in 2017.

In Thursday’s other quarter-final, Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin face Aslan Karatsev and Andrey Rublev, the latter team riding high after knocking out third seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the second round.