In a match that started with blood, ended with cramps and was filled with gripping drama for more than two-and-a-half hours, Nick Kyrgios outlasted Stan Wawrinka 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4 on Thursday to reach the semi-finals at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC. Kyrgios will play fellow Aussie John Millman or third seed John Isner of the United States in the next round.

More to come…

Alexander Zverev continues to have Alex de Minaur’s number. The German improved his FedEx ATP Head2Head against the #NextGenATP Aussie to 4-0 with a convincing 6-4, 6-4 win on Thursday to reach the semi-finals of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.

“We played three times last year and we’re going to play many more times in the future. He’s a great young player with a lot of potential,” said Zverev. “It’s never easy to play him, especially after last night (vs. Ferrer), which was a very emotional match for me and the crowd. I’m happy to get through.”

The second seed is through to the last four in Acapulco for the second straight year. He hasn’t dropped a set in three matches this week and has been especially impressive on serve. Zverev fired 13 aces and won 91 per cent (29/32) of first-serve points against de Minaur, requiring a single break in each set to advance in 75 minutes.

Although de Minaur is off to an impressive start this season, including winning his first title last month at the Sydney International (d. Seppi) and building an 11-3 record overall, he is now 0-11 against Top 10 players. 

Next up for Zverev is Brit Cameron Norrie, who reached his first ATP 500 semi-final by easing past American Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-2. McDonald was far from his best and finished the day with 13 winners to 35 unforced errors, but Norrie avoided complicating matters by saving all four break points he faced. The Brit, a runner-up last month at the ASB Classic (l. to Sandgren), improves to 8-4 this season.

“I was nervous. It was a big opportunity for both of us, but I played really solid today. I got a lot of rhythm from my match yesterday against Diego [Schwartzman] and I’m really stoked to get into my first [ATP 500] semi-final,” said Norrie. “I’ve got nothing to lose tomorrow and all the pressure is on [Zverev].”

Roger Federer faced two set points in an opening-set tie-break on Thursday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. But the seven-time Dubai champion stayed calm and eliminated Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 7-6(6), 6-4 in one hour and 56 minutes, continuing his pursuit of a historic 100th tour-level title.

Federer remains undefeated in Dubai quarter-finals, advancing to the last four at the ATP 500 tennis tournament, where he holds a 51-6 record, for the 11th time. He will face sixth seed Borna Coric or two-time ATP Tour champion Nikoloz Basilashvili for a spot in his 10th final at the event.

The 37-year-old Swiss is now just two victories away from earning his eighth Dubai crown and becoming the second player in the Open Era to win 100 tour-level trophies. The only other player to accomplish the feat is Jimmy Connors, who captured 109 titles.

Reaching the semi-finals was not easy, though. Fucsovics did well to maintain his court-positioning for much of the match, using his forehand down the line to keep the Swiss on the back foot and to try to dictate play as much as he could. Federer was never able to consistently dominate rallies, making for a tense affair with entertaining points.

After Federer stormed to a 3/0 lead in the tie-break. Fucsovics won five consecutive points, and then earned two set points at 6/4. But the Hungarian showed some nerves, hitting a couple of forehands into the net to allow Federer to take the lead.

But despite Federer breaking early in the second set, Fucsovics battled hard and regained his rhythm on the forehand wing to break back. At 4-4, Fucsovics fended off three break points when a slight rain began to fall, forcing a break in play that lasted less than 10 minutes (the second short rain delay of the match). While Federer could not convert another opportunity he earned after play resumed, Fucsovics could not fend off a fifth chance, missing a forehand down the line wide to give the Swiss a crucial second break in the set.

Federer won just two more points than Fucsovics, but he was able to advance in straight sets for the first time this week. Federer won 45 per cent of return points against the World No. 35.

Federer now leads Fucsovics 2-0 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series after also defeating the Hungarian in straight sets at last year’s Australian Open.

Coric defeated Federer twice last year, to win the Halle title and reach the Shanghai final. Federer lost just five games to Basilashvili three years ago in the first round of the Australian Open. 

Did You Know?
If Federer triumphs in Dubai, it will be the fourth tournament at which he has captured eight titles. He has lifted nine trophies in both Basel and Halle, while emerging victorious at Wimbledon eight times.

Nick Kyrgios overcame food poisoning on Wednesday at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC to record his biggest match win in two years. In a match, the Australian said he “will never forget”, Kyrgios saved three match points to beat top seed Rafael Nadal at the Acapulco Princess Mundo Imperial for a place in the quarter-finals.

“I love going out and playing the big matches,” said Kyrgios. “It’s one of the best atmospheres that I’ve ever played in. You could tell the crowd was loving every minute of that match,” said Kyrgios. “That’s what we play for. To come to Acapulco, Centre Court, a packed crowd. They were never silent. They were cheering Rafa’s name, cheering my name. It’s a match I will never forget.”

Kyrgios did not break Nadal’s serve in the match, which lasted two hours and three minutes, but he saved three match points in the third set tie-break to win 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(6). The 23-year-old, who also beat Novak Djokovic at the ATP 500 tournament in 2017, later admitted that he had considered not contesting the match due to illness.

“I woke up today and had food poisoning,” said Kyrgios. “The physio gave me some tablets and it helped a bit, but I was feeling a little woozy. I’ve been dealing with a knee injury as well. Before the match, I wasn’t so sure if I was going to go out there. I was in the shower a half an hour before I played and just feeling really average. [But] the more I got into the match, the adrenaline kicked in. I’m just really proud of how I overcame a couple of things tonight and the way I competed.”

Kyrgios, who will face Stan Wawrinka in the quarter-finals on Thursday, added, “I’ve had a pretty shocking year to start… A win like this gives me a bit of confidence in myself. I just want to do my thing and find my way. Just to be able to compete and have fun again is something that’s been lost on me for a long time. To find it again today against a player like Rafa is pretty special.”

Watch Kyrgios vs. Nadal Highlights From Acapulco