As Novak Djokovic, the defending and five time Indian Wells champion, and with a record 30 Masters titles to his name, took to centre court for his fourth-round match against No15 seed Nick Kyrgios, it was hard to put their last meeting out of the mind.
For that meeting, less than a fortnight ago, was their first, and it produced an imposing victory for Kyrgios, 7-6(9), 7-5. The Australian hit 25 aces in a dazzling display to pick up his 11th win over a top-10 player, adding Djokovic to previous career wins over Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
He afterwards summed it up: “I never have a problem getting up for these matches.”
For one thing has always been clear with this hugely talented, often distracted player: He enjoys playing on the big stage.
And make no mistake: this was a big stage, the second biggest tennis stadium in the world, and they played for a place in the quarter-final of the sport’s biggest Masters. The No2 seed was also the man to beat: In defeating Juan Martin del Potro in the third round, Djokovic had notched up his 19th consecutive match-win in Indian Wells and his 300th Masters win. One more, and he would have a tally of 50 in this tournament. Djokovic, more than all his rivals, was the Master of the Masters.
But confidence oozed from Kyrgios from the first point. He broke in the opening game, aced twice on his own serve to hold, and rushed Djokovic into atypical errors in the third to earn another break chance. The defending champion recalibrated his timing just enough to hold off the challenge, but this was already a high-octane contest, 2-1 to the 21-year old.
Djokovic faced and fought off two more deuces in the fifth game, only to see a 135mph ace followed by a 132mph ace rocket by for a love hold from Kyrgios, 4-2.
As is the way of ‘Box Office’ Kyrgios, there was plenty of surprise and flair on show, too: a Federer-inspired SABR, a jump drop shot, plus slice and zip in all directions. But he could not convert another break point in the seventh game.
In no time, though, Kyrgios was serving for the set, but a gruelling baseline rally, 33 strokes, gave Djokovic a first glimpse of a chance, 15-30. However a stunning backhand touch pass followed by a massive ace sealed the set for the Australian, 6-4.
Djokovic smashed his racket: He relished neither the oppressive temperature nor the oppressive serving of his opponent, and he picked up a warning for his trouble.
The release of tension seemed to work a treat: Djokovic began to find his rhythm, his length and as angles, making his first love hold for 2-1, and looking altogether more assured.
A first double fault from Kyrgios was erased by a 137mph ace to keep things level at 3-3, though the Serbian serve was performing even better now: just three points lost. Djokovic had another glimmer of a chance in the 10th game, at deuce, but Kyrgios fired a forehand wide to one wing and then to the other—Djokovic like—to hold for 5-5.
Now the tension of the moment, helped little by jagged fingers of shade spreading across the court, drew a couple of errors from Djokovic and two break chances for Kyrgios. Djokovic implored the support of the crowd, drilled two winners down the line, and held. They would head to a tie-break.
Kyrgios struck immediately to score the first point against serve and held his own with ease, 3-0. They changed ends at 4-2 after Kyrgios fired a second-serve ace at 126mph. Djokovic had to hold both his serve to stay alive at 2-6, and did so, but one last serve for Kyrgios was enough: He roared and leapt in celebration, 7-6(2), after a few minutes short of two hours. It had been intense, impressive and, for Djokovic, brought the end of a record run in the desert.
Kyrgios ambled across the court to talk to the Sky team, super relaxed, and rightly so: “Feels good. I knew what I had to do today, and now I have to get ready for tomorrow. I’ll have to serve well again. It will be against one of the two greatest players of all time—I don’t mind which!”
Asked if he would watch the match that would determine which of Federer or Nadal would take him on tomorrow, he grinned:
“That Australian final was one of the best matches I’ve ever seen, so I’m not going to miss this one!”
So the road ahead gets no easier for any of the men thrown into this most testing of quarters. Now the other two former Indian Wells champions Federer and Nadal, had to contest a 36th match for the privilege of a quarter-final place.
They may have anticipated facing Djokovic if they made it through, but they will face just as big a task in this Aussie star. This month, it looks as though Kyrgios has come of age—and how.