Nick Kyrgios has revealed his motivation heading into Monday’s crucial US Open match against defending champion Daniil Medvedev.
Australian women’s No.1 Ajla Tomljanovic, meanwhile, says she’s drawing inspiration from retired legend Serena Williams as she chases a grand slam crown in New York.
Kyrgios readily admits he’ll carry a siege mentality into his fourth-round clash with top-ranked Medvedev as he looks to prove his Wimbledon final this year was no fluke.
And if the crowd is against him, so be it.
“As a tennis player, as an athlete, with any profession, you kind of want to be in those moments,” Kyrgios said of the high-pressure match on Sunday.
‘‘I don’t want to be playing futures or challengers on back courts with no crowd.
“That’s not why I play this sport. That’s not why I pick up a racquet. I want to be playing on the biggest stadiums in the world in front of millions of people, broadcasted globally.’’
- AUSSIES IN ACTION ON DAY EIGHT
- Men’s singles, fourth round
- Nick Kyrgios v Daniil Medvedev (RUS) – 9am Monday AEST
- Women’s singles, fourth round
- Ajla Tomljanovic v Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) – about 9am Monday AEST
Chip on my shoulder
The Australian – who polarises the opinion of tennis fans with his natural flair coupled with regular on-court misbehaviour and petulance – said he knows a lot of people don’t want him to succeed.
“I know a lot of people hate my game, the way I do things, the way I go about it,’’ he said.
“I always thrive on it. I never want to forget all the things people say. I always carry this chip on my shoulder. I have it all in the back of my head when I’m playing.”
Kyrgios holds a 3-1 lead in the pair’s career encounters.
His only defeat was a four-set loss at this year’s Australian Open, while his most recent win over Medvedev came three weeks ago in Montreal.
“Win or lose, I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I’ve worked hard to be in the fourth round at the US Open, against Medvedev. I want to be there,’’ Kyrgios said.
The winner will face either Spanish 12th seed Pablo Carreno Busta or Russian Karen Khachanov on Tuesday for a semi-final berth.
Win or lose, Kyrgios remains in the hunt for a second grand slam doubles crown for the year with Thanasi Kokkinakis after the Australian Open champions advanced ominously to the third round on Sunday.
Tomljanovic is also vying for a quarter-final spot, taking on Russian Liudmila Samsonova in the women’s fourth round.
Tomljanovic’s US Open history
Tomljanovic cemented her place in history on Saturday when she beat Serena Williams in straight sets to effectively end the 23-time grand slam singles champion’s storied career.
The victory also thrust the 29-year-old into uncharted territory – a coveted place in the second week at Flushing Meadows for the first time.
Tomljanovic hopes her momentous victory over Williams doesn’t prove career defining.
After years of battling injuries and self-doubts, she has ambitions of being a major winner.
‘‘I have faith in myself, but at the same time I have a little bit of doubt,’’ Tomljanovic said ahead of her fourth-round clash with Samsonova.
‘‘I know that that’s just coming from that bad side of Ajla that always has some doubt, like every normal person.’’
A win over Samsonova would make Tomljanovic the first Australian to reach the US Open women’s quarter-finals since Sam Stosur in 2012.
Beating Williams in the sport’s biggest arena – where 23,859 spectators exceeded the official capacity at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the American great’s last match – was merely further vindication that Tomljanovic is a new player these days.
Backing up her breakout run to last year’s Wimbledon quarter-finals with a repeat effort six weeks ago already ensured that.
Declaring her rousing win over the former world No.1 ‘‘already kind of in the past’’, Tomljanovic says she plans to carry a piece of the Williams legacy with her into her match against Samsonova.
‘‘Growing up, I didn’t really have idols, but Serena and [sister] Venus were just so good that I looked up to them the most,’’ the Croatian-born star said.
‘‘I still have years left in me. I want to dream bigger than I have so far because that’s what [Serena] embodies.’’
Victory over Samsonova, a winner of two US Open lead-up events, would earn Tomljanovic a quarter-final against either Tunisia’s fifth-seeded Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur or Veronika Kudermetova, also of Russia.
-with AAP
