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Australia has its first men’s grand slam finalist since Lleyton Hewitt at the Australian Open in 2005.
Nick Kyrgios is into the men’s final at Wimbledon after Rafael Nadal withdrew due to an abdominal injury suffered in his gruelling five-set victory over Taylor Fritz in the quarter-final.
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The Spaniard reportedly had a seven-millimetre tear to his abdomen and had hoped to take on Kyrgios for a spot in the final, but ultimately the pain became too much and he announced his retirement at a press conference on Friday (AEST).
It now pits Kyrgios in the final against the winner of the other semi-final between Novak Djokovic and hometown hero Cameron Norrie.
Kyrgios was quick to respond to Nadal’s bombshell on Instagram, posting a photo of the two shaking hands after a previous match.
The caption read: “Different players, different personalities. @rafaelnadal I hope your recovery goes well and we all hope to see you healthy soon. Till next time …”
Kyrgios’ girlfriend Costeen Hatzi also took to social media to share her pride in her partner’s success.
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In an Instagram story, she posted a picture of herself and Kyrgios with the caption: “Finals of Wimbledon. This is insane. I love you and we all can’t wait to see you out there with all our support. When you have the right people around you anything is possible.”
Kyrgios reposted Hatzi’s story and added: “My baby, what a ride it’s been. Why not one more? I love you.”
Nadal’s withdrawal the day before he was due to take on Kyrgios had some people in the tennis world pondering whether Fritz deserved the opportunity to take Nadal’s place and face Kyrgios in the semi final.
New York Times tennis writer Christopher Clarey shared that perspective and believed that despite the scenario occurring only a handful of times, it was worth investigating.
“It happens so rarely, but I still think it’s worth exploring,” Clarey wrote.
“When a player withdraws this late in a Grand Slam or before a major tour final, the beaten player should be able to take the slot. In this case Fritz would play Kyrgios as a ‘lucky loser.’
“The show must go on.”
However, in a reply to a comment on his Instagram post uploaded in the wake of his loss to Nadal, Fritz quickly shut that idea down.
“Nah, not looking for handouts, if I couldn’t beat him (Nadal) then I don’t deserve to be in the semis … simple as that,” Fritz said.
There were also multiple tennis fans who are getting the popcorn ready for what could be a tantalising final between Djokovic and Kyrgios.
The Canberran has beaten Djokokic in the two matches they have played, with the Serb failing to even take one set against Kyrgios.
But in a grand slam final, everything changes and countless eyeballs would be glued to watch Kyrgios’ tilt at a Wimbledon title.
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