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Remind me next time

Nick Kyrgios is having the tournament of a lifetime. The No. 40 ranked men’s player reached the semifinals of Wimbledon with a straight sets win over Cristian Garin in the quarterfinals. Now, he takes on a living legend in the world of tennis in the semifinals, Rafael Nadal.

Nadal overcame an injury in the quarterfinals against upstart American Taylor Fritz. The Spaniard seemed to pull an ab muscle during a serve early in the match. Despite his father telling him to quiet the match, Nadal continued on.

Down 2-1 going into the fourth set, Nadal dug deep to pull off a miraculous victory. It was the type of come from behind win that legends like Nadal produce time and time again. Now, Nadal must put the injured ab muscle and lingering ankle issue to the side to play Kyrgios.

Kyrgios reached the semifinals by defeating two ranked opponents. His biggest win to date at the Championships came against Stefanos Tsitsipas. After dropping the first set to the Greek, Kyrgios won three straight sets to progress 3-1.

The bad boy of tennis has a record of 21-6 this season. He too has battled injuries in 2022. This is a rivalry between two studs on the ATP Tour. Kyrgios and Nadal have played nine times previous. Kyrgios has won versus Nadal and will go into Friday’s semifinal believing he can win once more.

Nick Kyrgios vs Rafael Nadal Betting Odds

odds

It may come as a surprise to most fans and punters, but Kyrgios goes into the semifinal as the bookies’ favourite. There is a lot of worry around Nadal’s fitness ahead of the match. These worries have led to Kyrgios being the favourite.

Bookies’ best betting odds on the Australian to win are at 8/13. Nadal’s best betting odds to win are at 13/10. Nadal is on a three-match winning streak versus Kyrgios ahead of this week’s semifinal at Wimbledon. Kyrgios has not defeated Nadal since the two played in 2019 at the Mexico Open.

Nadal’s shock come from behind win against Taylor Fritz keeps his attempts at a 23rd Grand Slam trophy alive. The Spaniard won the Australian Open and French Open this season. The odds are now against him to take a third straight major trophy.

After Nadal’s quarterfinal win, both he had Kyrgios were 6/1 to win the Wimbledon tournament. Nadal’s injury made Novak Djokovic even more of a favourite to win the Championships. Djokovic has to get by Britain’s Cameron Norrie in the semifinal on Thursday to reach the final.

The last three matches between Kyrgios and Nadal didn’t end in straight sets. Each went further with both players winning a set. Although Nadal won all three of those matches, Kyrgios was able to tally a set win. Bookies’ best betting odds on a Nadal win with Kyrgios also winning a set are at 9/4.

Kyrgios won 3-0 against Garin in the previous round. He showed signs of cracking in the third set, but held strong to defeat Garin 4-6, 3-6, 6(5)-7(7). The final game of the third set was an intense back and forth affair with the Aussie finally prevailing.

Nick Kyrgios vs Rafael Nadal H2H

Kyrgios and Nadal have played nine times previously. Nadal holds the advantage in wins and losses with a record of 6-3. The pair met as recently as this season in the ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells event. Nadal won the quarterfinal affair 7-6, 5-7, 6-4. It was Nadal’s third straight win over Kyrgios.

The Australian’s last win versus Nadal was in 2019 at the Mexico Open. Kyrgios won the match 3-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6(6). Friday’s semifinal will be the third time Kyrgios and Nadal have played at Wimbledon. The previous two meetings between then were split one win apiece. In both cases, the players needed four sets to decide the winner. Bookies’ best betting odds on the match being four sets are at 8/5.

Unless Nadal is suffering from a serious injury and Kyrgios completely smothers him from the start, it is likely that Friday’s semifinal will go to four or five sets. Three of Kyrgios’s five matches at Wimbledon 2022 have gone four or more sets. Likewise, Nadal has played four or more sets in three of his five Wimbledon matches.

Kyrgios’s style of play has worked well on the lawns of the All England Club this season. Nadal’s fitness could hamper his ability to return the Aussie’s serve. However, Nadal dealt with the big serving American, Taylor Fritz, while nursing fitness issues.

Nick Kyrgios vs Rafael Nadal Betting Tips

Kyrgios is the slight favourite according to bookies. Yet, playing against Nadal in the semifinal actually makes him the underdog in the eyes of many people. The Australian is in great form, but there is always the worry with Kyrgios that his temper will get the best of him.

Nadal was cool, calm, and collected against Fritz despite facing near-elimination. Even with an injury, Nadal played to his best ability, coming back to win the match. Based on Kyrgios and Nadal’s previous encounters, it is safe to say this match won’t be a quick win for either player.

The King of Clay is 19-0 in Grand Slam matches in 2022. He is on an incredible run. Just when you think he is finished, Nadal pulls out an incredible performance to progress. My betting tips prediction is for Nadal to pull off a victory. He is at the best betting odds of 13/10 to win the match. I believe Nadal will win and this match will go to five sets.

Bookies’ best betting odds on a Nadal 3-2 win are at 11/2, a fantastic value for the semifinal event. The best betting odds on the match going five sets are at 12/5.

Kyrgios has had an excellent tournament, but once Nadal gets going, the Aussie’s head could go. Nadal should win the match to extend his Grand Slam record in 2022 to 20-0. It should also, potentially, set up a final with Novak Djokovic.