Tennis

Wimbledon: Nick Kyrgios beats Cristian Garin to book semis spot

The Australian is the lowest ranked and first unseeded men’s semifinalist since 2008. He is currently ranked 40th.

Sentinel Digital Desk

LONDON: Nick Kyrgios advanced to the semifinals at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time by beating Cristian Garin 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (5) on Centre Court at Wimbledon. Kyrgios reached the quarterfinals at the All England Club when he made his debut at the grass-court major in 2014 but this year was his first time getting back to that stage.

The Australian is the lowest ranked and first unseeded men's semifinalist since 2008. He is currently ranked 40th.

On Tuesday, British ninth-seed Cameron Norrie reached his first Grand Slam semi-final when he twice came from behind to beat unseeded Belgian David Goffin 3-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 to set up a dream meeting with Novak Djokovic.

Having come into the match full of confidence after successive straight-set wins Norrie was surprisingly ragged in the first set. He rallied to take the second but then managed only two points in the first four games of the third as Goffin, also looking to make the last four at a major for the first time, took it without having to do anything extraordinary.

The Belgian was on court for four and a half hours in getting past Frances Tiafoe on Sunday and began to look a little tired in the fourth as Norrie upped his own intensity to level the match, much to the delight of a packed Number One Court.

There was little in it as they battled to 5-5 in the fifth set when Norrie somehow found an extra gear to blast through a service break to love and then served out safely to secure the biggest win of his career.

In the exciting fourth quarterfinal, second seed Rafael Nadal and 11th seed Taylor Fritz shared four sets. The American grabbed the first set 6-3 while Nadal took the second 7-5. Fritz took the lead again by claiming the third set 6-3. Nadal held his serve to love and makes it 7-5 to pocket the 4th set. Both players shared the first six games of the final set by three games each. Agencies

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