Nadal quells Nick’s skilful racket

Nick Kyrgios chased every ball, hit a dazzling drop shot at break point, smashed his racket and tossed it to a spectator, smiled at his rival’s athleticism, collected 25 aces, played with unflinching bravery and lectured the umpire. He was electric and yet Rafael Nadal was unbeatable. The younger man, 24, reached a wondrously high level, but the older one, 33, lives there every day.

Nadal won 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-4) and is in his 41st Grand Slam quarter-final. It took three hours and 38 sweaty minutes, lasted 271 points, but the Spaniard did what he so often does. He earned victory.

Nadal has never warmed to Kyrgios because he religiously respects his own talent while the Australian has been casual with his. One never throws a racket, the other often creates one. But this Australian summer, Kyrgios has displayed an adult focus and a grown-up game and Nadal recognised this.

“When he wants to play tennis, when he’s focused on what he’s doing, he’s a very important player for our sport because he has a big talent,” he said. “Yeah, he’s one of these players that can be very, very interesting for the crowd.

“I am never against his way or style to play. When I criticise him in the past is because he did a couple of things that are not right and are not the right image for our sport and for the kids. But when he’s doing the right things, I am the first one who support this.”

Later Kyrgios had his own version of how he had improved. “I feel like I’ve made progress as a human,” he said. “A tennis player, I don’t really care about as much.” But later, he admitted: “The trouble for me is being able to actually just produce the same attitude over and over again. Hopefully I can keep doing it.”

For an evening destined to be dramatic, the first set was an epic disappointment. Kyrgios arrived wearing a Lakers vest in homage to Kobe Bryant and with headphones wrapped around his head. But his game had a mild music to it.

At 1-2, he got to 40-15 on serve, played two errant drop shots and was suddenly down 1-3. His talent flickered but Nadal lit up. He smacked a backhand cross-court winner and then a forehand down the line and at 6-3 the only excellence on show was Spanish.

Then the sun sank and Kyrgios woke up. Showmen live for the bright night lights. “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi,” shouted a fan and Kyrgios responded with a shot between his legs at break point. He won the rally, the crowd howled. No refunds were required, the entertainer had arrived.

Nadal played an oddly sloppy game, was broken to 1-3 and Kyrgios, energised, played with verve and control. Of course, once, just to remind us who he is, he charged towards a Nadal serve like a mad rider from the light brigade. Then, he won the second set the only way he can: with two aces, out wide. The first 182kmh, the second 196.

This being a Kyrgios match, it was played at high volume. Either his racket is talking or he is. He questioned the umpire, muttered to himself and spoke to the ball. Nadal, receiving serve way behind the baseline, is not given to wasting energy. Mr 100 per cent needs every joule.

Kyrgios hit the more memorable shots but Nadal the more persuasive ones. The Spaniard is a man of equilibrium, whose finest work is measured in kilometres, not words. He has played too long and seen too much to be discomforted by an inspired rival and a loud crowd. He picks at his shorts and then picks riv

The third set resembled boxing in an open-air ring, two men going toe-to-toe under the gaze of the stars. The only fitting end to it, of course, was a theatrical tie-breaker.

Kyrgios probably thinks going over the Niagara Falls in a barrel is a good idea, so at 5-5 in the tie-breaker he risked a second serve ace and double-faulted. Then at 6-5, with a set point, Nadal double-faulted. Both player’s boxes must have needed defibrillators. Eventually, Kyrgios hit a forehand in the net and Nadal had the third set 7-6.

The Australian, recovering from a five-set match in the previous round, now began to look like a race car in dire need of petrol. When he was broken to 1-2 in the fourth set, the match seemed over, but this new, committed, hustling version of Kyrgios is something to behold.

Nadal, proving that even the sturdiest warriors are anxious, double-faulted when serving for the match at 5-4 and Kyrgios’ forehand started to resemble an accelerating right hook. He broke Nadal and levelled the score but it was his last dance.

He had nothing more to give but Nadal almost always has. No athlete, day after day, has made effort look so utterly beautiful.