Key Points
- Australian Nick Kyrgios is through to the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
- He says "so many people" will be upset over the result.
Nick Kyrgios said a "lot of people will be upset" after he reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon with a thoroughly professional five-set win over Brandon Nakashima on Monday.
The 27-year-old Australian's fiery third-round win over Stefanos Tsitsipas led to his opponent branding him a bully with an evil side as Kyrgios's antics polarised opinion.
Forty-eight hours later, however, Kyrgios was a model of maturity, barely uttering a word in anger as he shrugged off a stiff shoulder and not having his A-game to reach his third Grand Slam quarter-final with a 4-6 6-4 7-6(2) 3-6 6-2 win over Nakashima.
He was calm as he spoke to the media afterwards, describing his satisfaction at overcoming the tenacious 20-year-old American without playing his best tennis.
Questions on post-match wardrobe
Even on a day when his on-court behaviour was exemplary, Kyrgios could not resist poking his nose at authority and Wimbledon's all-white clothing rules.
He has already picked up two fines so far at the tournament and could face another after walking on court wearing red trainers for his fourth-round match against Brandon Nakashima on Centre Court on Monday.
He played in white shoes but after his five-set win changed back into the red ones and also wore a red cap while doing his on-court interview, having donned a white one during the match.
Asked afterwards why he had deliberately broken the rule stating that players must wear all white on court, the Australian offered a curt response.
"Because I do what I want," said Kyrgios, who is into the quarter-finals for the first time since his debut in 2014.
Asked if he felt above the rules he added: "No, I'm not above the rules. "I just like wearing my Jordans. That's okay. I'll wear some Triple Whites tomorrow."
Kyrgios has been fined a total of $14,000 for two offences - spitting towards a fan after his first-round win and then for swearing in a fiery third-round clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Kyrgios next faces Chile's Cristian Garin
Kyrgios, the world number 40, will face Cristian Garin of Chile next, with the door to his first Grand Slam semi-final wide open.
Asked how he had shrugged off fierce criticism aimed his way by people such as former champion and fellow Australian Pat Cash in the wake of his victory over Greek Tsitsipas, Kyrgios said he just laughed it off.
"It's so funny. I joke around with my team about it so much. It's hilarious,"
Kyrgios, who will contest his first Wimbledon quarter-final since his debut in 2014, told reporters.
"I almost just wake up and read things, and I just laugh. And I never forget things, whether it was three, four years ago, things that just stick with me. I have a massive chip on my shoulder. Like I sit here now in quarterfinals Wimbledon again, and I just know there's so many people that are so upset."
Kyrgios struggled with his timing and shoulder against Nakashima and largely dispensed with his usual repertoire of exhibition shots.
But the way he buckled down to business in an "absolute battle" offered an indication as to how much he would love to go all the way.
"I wasn't feeling the ball like I was against Tsitsipas or (Filip) Krajinovic," he said.
"I knew I had to keep my head down and just battle today. It was a good mental performance."
'Staying in the moment'
Kyrgios admitted that in the past he might have lost Monday's match, especially faced with shoulder pain that prevented him from serving at full tilt throughout.
"Mentally I feel like I just deal with these things a lot better now," he said, praising the input of his team.
"I stayed quite calm, knowing I wasn't able to serve full-out for the whole five sets ... I wasn't returning well for a period of time, then I just stuck to my guns in the fifth set."
A potential semi-final against Rafa Nadal is brewing, but Kyrgios said he was just "staying in the moment".
"To sit here quarter-finals of Wimbledon, feeling good, feeling composed, feeling mature. I'm extremely blessed. I feel like I'm just comfortable in my own skin," he said.
