On Sunday, the Australian and the Belarusian competed against each other under a special format: the playing field of the WTA world number 1 was reduced by 9 percent and each player had one serve.
Before the match, Kyrgios noted that he would have to make some adjustments. And he certainly did, as Wimbledon in 2022 left a lot to be desired – providing a number of unconventional shots – and even delivering a successful underarm serve. In the end he won 6-3 6-3.
On the WTA Tour, Sabalenka is considered the most powerful player and she would be the best choice to challenge a male player. But even though the four-time Grand Slam champion tried to be aggressive, it didn’t turn out the way she probably wanted.
However, former British player and analyst Croft thinks he knows why.
Croft: Kyrgios threw so much junk tennis and clumsiness into it
“It didn’t quite live up to what I thought it could be. I think that had a lot to do with the way Kyrgios played. He did what he’s done on the Tour in general. He’s a very difficult customer for everyone. So he threw so much rubbish into it. He cut and chopped his forehand, slow balling, clumsiness,” Croft said on BBC One.
“But the ball was moving a lot, especially on his serve. The skill with the only serve he could use, but the way the ball would move through the air. You could tell she was returning well out of bounds and somewhere above head height where she couldn’t really control the ball and even when she got her hands on it, she couldn’t do what she usually does on the women’s tour, which is hit through the court and do damage.”
After losing to Kyrgios, Sabalenka claimed she was still happy with her performance. World No. 1 Alos hinted at a rematch with the Australian by saying she would know what to do next time.
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