Australian Nick Kyrgios won the ATP 500 tournament in Washington on Sunday for the second time in his career, beating Japan´s Yoshihito Nishioka 6-4 and 6-3.
Kyrgios, a recent finalist of Wimbledon, when he lost to Serbian Novak Djokovic, gave Nishioka no chance and beat him for the fourth time in the clashes between the two.
This victory, in a tournament that he already won in 2019 (when he won his last tittle) will allow Kyrgios to gain 26 positions in the ATP ranking and this Monday he will be number 37 in the world.
Intractable on serve, the Australian player finished the tournament with 96 aces and punished a Nishioka who was contesting the third final of his career on the professional circuit, the first in an ATP 500 event. The Australian was crowned after an intense tournament, in which he had to overcome the round of 16 and the quarter-finals on the same day, on Friday. Also saving five match points against the American Frances Tiafoe.
“Thanks to the city of Washington, I love this place, I feel like home. I am excited to be back here”, Kyrgios said during the awards ceremony.
The week in Washington had a dream outcome for Kyrgios when he also prevailed in the doubles modality together with the American Jack Sock. With an “ace” from the Australian to close the match, the duo of powerful servers beat Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek 7-5 and 6-4.
If at the individual level this has been the seventh tittle of Kyrgios career, in the doubles format it is his fourth conquest, third of a successful year 2022 where he won the Australian Open along with his compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis against Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell.
Jorge Barbero
