Rafael Nadal has shrugged off new concerns over his fitness as he targets a place in an eighth Wimbledon semi-final on Wednesday while Nick Kyrgios plays in the shadow of fresh controversy.
In Nadal’s last-16 clash against Botic van de Zandschulp, the 36-year-old had strapping across his abdomen. Only last month, he won a 14th French Open with his troublesome left foot anaesthetised.
“I’m a little bit tired to talk about my body, all the issues that I am having,” said 22-time Grand Slam title winner Nadal who has never lost a Wimbledon quarter-final. I prefer to not talk about that now. For the moment I am healthy enough to keep going and fight for the things that I want.” Nadal is halfway to the first calendar Grand Slam by a man since Rod Laver in 1969.
On Wednesday, he will seek to reach the semi-finals for the eighth time when he faces in-form Taylor Fritz. The American is in the last eight of a Slam for the first time and has yet to drop a set. He warmed up for Wimbledon by claiming the grasscourt title at Eastbourne.
The 24-year-old defeated Nadal in the Indian Wells Masters final earlier this year when the Spaniard was suffering from a cracked rib.
He is back in the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time since 2014, when he made a mockery of his 144 world ranking to stun Nadal.
The 27-year-old has taken his aces count past the 100 mark and hit a total of 257 winners over four rounds. He has also been involved in plenty of controversy. Kyrgios was described as a “bully” with an “evil side” by third-round rival Stefanos Tsitsipas.
“I sit here now in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon again, and I just know there’s so many people that are so upset,” Kyrgios said.
The 40th-ranked player will go into Wednesday’s match just a day after reports emerged in Australia that he faces a court appearance in August on an allegation of assault.
Source: eNCA
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