And when he thrashed Russia’s Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals in an epic five-set match, Kyrgios’ frustration at missing such an opportunity boiled over.
Khachanov, meanwhile, stood on the other side of the net with his arms held high as he celebrated the 7-5 4-6 7-5 6-7(3) 6-4 victory.
“It’s shit, to be honest,” Kyrgios told reporters. [the grand slams] It’s the only thing that ever matters. It’s like having to redo everything. We have to wait until the Australian Open. It’s just devastating. Like, it’s heartbreaking. Not just for me, but for everyone I know who wants me to win. ”
The first set flew by in 35 minutes, with both players dominated by big serves and several errors in Kyrgios’ final service game, giving Khachanov a break and a set.
The Australian, who took a medical timeout to treat his left knee before tying the score in the second set, followed a mandatory break.
“Obviously, I’ve been playing a lot of tennis over the last few months…I just did a split step and tweaked it a little bit,” he later said of his knee. I’m feeling better physically, I put some deep heat on it and now everybody’s a bit of a jerk.”
Kyrgios’ momentum seemed to carry over into the third set, scoring two break points in Khachanov’s first service game and two more at 4-4. However, he failed to capitalize on these chances and it was Khachanov who regained the lead with a 6-5 break.
Frustrated at losing this set, Kyrgios broke a water bottle during the changeover and was cautioned for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The 27-year-old has already been fined $18,500 for four offenses at this year’s US Open, including spitting, swearing and breaking his racket, according to Reuters.
Kyrgios forced a fifth set, but Khachanov broke in the first game and saved break points in the next two service games to close out the match and reach a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time. He faces Casper Ruud in the US Open final on Friday.
“I am very happy and proud to finish the match,” Khachanov said. “Match serve [is] It’s never easy. Yeah, I’m really happy to have taken this step to reach my first semi-final. ”
It was also the end of Kyrgios’ most successful year at a Grand Slam after reaching the Wimbledon final in July.
“Whether you win or lose, that’s all people remember at a Grand Slam. I think almost every tournament in the year is a real waste of time. You should just run and show up at the Grand Slam. That’s what it is. It’s your goal.” ”
Source: www.cnn.com
