Nick Kyrgios’ entertaining run at Wimbledon continued as he shrugged off a shoulder injury to beat American Brandon Nakashima and reach his first major quarter-final in seven years. The Australian was more subdued than in his fiery match against Stefanos Tsitsipas, remaining largely quiet in a 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-2 victory. The win came despite needing a medical timeout and regular physical therapy. Kyrgios, 27, will play Chilean Cristian Garin in the last eight on Wednesday. “It was nowhere near my best level of performance, but I’m very happy that I did it and I fought very hard,” said Kyrgios, who is ranked 40th in the world. “I’ve played a lot of tennis in the last month and a half and I’m proud of the way I’ve built the ship.” Unseeded Garin, 26, staved off an Australian fightback by fighting back from two sets down – and saving two match points in the fifth – to beat 19th seed Alex de Minaur. The world number 43, more of a clay court specialist, reached his first major quarter-final with a 2-6 5-7 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 7-6 (10-6) victory.
Kyrgios stares at a glass of wine after claiming victory
All eyes were on Kyrgios after his explosive third-round match with Greek fourth seed Tsitsipas, which became one of the biggest talking points of this year’s championship because it contained so much drama. While the match against Nakashima on Center Court lacked the fireworks of Saturday night on Court 1, it was an absorbing slow burner. Break chances were rare as the pair dominated their service games, with Kyrgios’ injury problem making a match of fluctuating swings even more difficult. While people regularly discuss his mentality when discussing why a player with such talent hasn’t won more titles, injuries are another factor in what has hindered Kyrgios’ progress in recent years. Physical problems have come to the fore again for the Australian, who pulled out of the Mallorca Open last month with an abdominal injury at the end of the first set against Nakashima. But after taking painkillers and receiving routine treatment, he managed to race into a two-sets-to-one lead before losing his way in the fourth as Nakashima forced a referee. Kyrgios broke open in the final game of the fourth set as he came back fortuitously – and even served out Nakashima’s first set, which he again won – but set himself up to run away with the decider. After securing a hard-fought victory with his first match point, he said: “I need a big glass of wine tonight for sure.”
