With the exception of Rafael Nadal on clay courts, former professional tennis player Marion Bartoli thinks Nick Kyrgios has the capacity to defeat anyone on his day.
Nadal and Kyrgios have faced off nine times, with the Spaniard holding a 6-3 advantage in their head-to-head record. This year at Wimbledon, their semifinal matchup was set, however, the 22-time Grand Slam victor withdrew from the competition due to an abdominal injury.
During a segment called "Les Grandes Gueules du Sport" on RMC Sport, former World No. 7 Bartoli discussed the advantages and disadvantages of 27-year-old Kyrgios.
"That Kyrgios is a kicker, a player who feels the excitement of big games, a player who isn't afraid to take on the big guys, that's obvious. For me he will always be an extremely flamboyant player, who will have the ability in a match to get them all, except [Rafael] Nadal on clay and a few [other] exceptions. But becoming a cador on the circuit by being present every week is not Nick Kyrgios' trademark.” said Bartoli adding:
"To manage to be a cador of the circuit, it is necessary to hold all the year. Already on clay, he doesn't want to hear about it because for him it's not a tennis surface. So already you take three months off the season including a Grand Slam tournament."
Bartoli also discussed Nick Kyrgios' costly behaviour and the effects of spending extended periods of time away from home:
"He is a player who needs a lot of affection, everyone behaves the way he wants to behave, but we know very well that it costs him a lot, being Australian and being away from home for a long time so at some point it unpins. It started showing up in Cincinnati against Taylor Fritz where it didn't exist and the game was over in less than an hour.
0 Comments