Rafa Nadal ends with a motivated Kyrgios and will face Thiem in the quarterfinals

Rafael Nadal again completed a brilliant performance to end the journey of a motivated Nick Kyrgios (26) by 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (8) and 7-6 (4) in three hours and 38 minutes, and will face in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open against Austrian Dominic Thiem.

“I woke up this morning with this terrible news. One of the best athletes in history. I think he deserves a big round of applause,” Nadal said after the game ended with a Los Angeles Lakers cap on his head, as a sign of respect. to the newly deceased in a Kobe Bryant plane crash.

The number one in the world was not intimidated by a Kyrgios in a state of grace, and he had the incessant support of the public. Nor, Rafa was moved by the moral blow received after giving up the second set.

The Canberra player jumped to the Rod Laver Arena track with the Los Angeles Lakers jersey and eight number in homage to Kobe Bryant, accompanied by a warm and vibrant ovation.

She did not hold back her tears and Kyrgios cried disconsolately while making the last preparations before making the draw with the rival and the chair judge.

The Spanish started one more march and managed to thwart the service of the opponent on the second chance to direct a partial that would end with a 6-3 result in his favor.

The public fulfilled their mission and was responsible for letting Kyrgios know that he was the only local fighter alive in the box, so the Australian started the second round in a different dynamic.

Nadal conceded a break ball after two games, against Federico Delbonis and Pablo Carreño, and a set, and his rival took the opportunity to put land in between.

Third key set

With the match tied to a set, both players became aware of not granting opportunities with the service and sent the third round to the tiebreaker.

Some of the best points happened in this phase of the match, at its climax, and Nadal, who had committed a double foul with a set ball, closed the tiebreaker by 8-6.

He returned to reduce his intensity and the Balearic was done with an early break that would be canceled after allowing the game to escape with the favorable 5-4.

The public 'aussie' woke up, and with it the young local tennis player, but Nadal responded to the wonders after taking a new tiebreaker 7-4.

Nadal fulfilled his objective and maintained the line of his previous game, very different from the discreet proposal concerning the first two, to pass an essential fire test to face the quarterfinals in the best possible way against the Austrian Thiem who defeated before to French Gael Monfils for 6-2, 6-4 and 6-4 in one hour and 50 minutes.

The Manacor player has a balance of 9-4 in his favor as far as the direct confrontations maintained with the young Austrian although they were only measured once on hard surface.

Spanish was also imposed on that occasion when it took an exciting duel to five sets precisely in a quarter-finals but in the 2018 edition of the United States Open.