Nick Kyrgios reached the first Grand Slam semifinal of his career on Wednesday as he overcame Cristian Garin in straight sets on Wimbledon’s Court No1.
The combustible Australian triumphed 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-5) before sinking to the grass in celebration.
In his first Wimbledon quarterfinal since 2014 and against the man who came from two sets down to defeat his compatriot Alex de Minaur in the previous round, Kyrgios displayed a level of resilience not often seen in his professional career. It’s making a difference in 2022, clearly, offering the 27-year-old a Grand Slam opportunity he believed might have passed him by.
“I thought my ship had sailed. I didn’t go about things great earlier in my career,” he said on court after his victory.
Garin, who was in his first quarterfinal, was a strong competitor in baseline exchanges but he couldn’t find breakthroughs at the right moment, taking just one of nine break points.
Kyrgios was vocal as ever on his side of the net, focusing his ire on his box and himself, but it never truly disrupted a level of concentration that has too often deserted him in the past.
“I don’t have a coach — I’d never put that burden on someone. But each and every one of my team plays an important role. No one knows my tennis like I do,” he said.
“I felt I was playing on the back foot a lot — he’s a hell of a player. I got lucky on a couple of break points. It could easily have been him standing here.”
Kyrgios will face either Rafael Nadal or Taylor Fritz for a place in the final.
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