Nick Kyrgios said Friday he was disappointed not to face Rafael Nadal at
Wimbledon, proclaiming that "everyone did want to see us go to war out
there".
اضافة اعلان
The controversial Australian was handed a free pass into Sunday's final
after 22-time major winner Nadal withdrew from their semi-final with an
abdominal injury.
Kyrgios, one of the sport's most talented yet divisive characters, is in his
first final at the majors at the age of 27.
Had he faced Nadal, it would have been their third clash at Wimbledon.
Kyrgios won the first in 2014 as a 144th-ranked wild card before Nadal
gained revenge in a stormy clash three years ago.
"We've had a lot of run-ins, a lot of battles," said Kyrgios, who
has won three of their nine encounters.
"I'm sure at the end of the day everyone did want to see us go to war
out there. I hope he just gets better.
"Obviously you never want to see someone like that, so important to the
sport, go down with an injury like that. I'm sure I'll play him again on a big
stage."
Earlier Friday, Kyrgios had posted a goodwill message on Instagram to Nadal.
"Different players, different personalities. @rafaelnadal I hope
your recovery goes well and we all hope to see you healthy soon -- till next
time."
In Sunday's final, 40th-ranked Kyrgios will face either six-time Wimbledon
champion Novak Djokovic or British ninth seed Cameron Norrie for the title.
Kyrgios had never previously got beyond the quarter-finals of a Slam before
his current visit to the All England Club.
He made the last eight on his 2014 debut and reached the quarter-finals in
Australia in 2015 but since then his career has been punctuated by more downs
than ups.
"I never thought I'd be here at all, to be brutally honest with
you," he said.
"But I'm just super proud and I'm just ready to go. I'm going to give
it my all and we'll see what happens."
Kyrgios admitted that the prospect of playing in his first Grand Slam final
had left him anxious.
"I probably got an hour's sleep just with everything, like the
excitement. I had so much anxiety. I was already feeling so nervous, and I
don't feel nervous usually," he said.
Kyrgios has been the headline act at this year's Wimbledon.
His spectacular shot-making has been accompanied by $14,000 in fines,
spitting in the direction of fans and a bitter bust-up with third-round
opponent Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The Greek accused him of having an "evil side" and being a
"bully".
On Friday morning, he woke to one British newspaper headline describing his
passage to the final as "Wimbledon's worst nightmare".
"If that's what they want to write, I guess that's what they want to
write. I can only control what I do," said Kyrgios.
"I'm just going to go out there and enjoy the moment. Since I was born,
only eight people have ever won this title, like eight people. I'm just going
to give it my best shot."
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