Instead, he did this. After securing a point when Medvedev hit a return wide of the net, Kyrgios crossed to Medvedev’s side of the court and hit the ball into the ground. He then pointed into the air and smiled. Why; Only Kyrgios knows. But he seemed very happy with the move. It was illegal, of course. You cannot hit an opponent’s ball before it crosses the net, even if it is never going to cross the net. The move ended up costing him the point. Instead of facing break point, Medvedev served for the game to lead 40-30. He converted and equalized at 1-1. After a break, ESPN’s Patrick McEnroe reported from the sidelines that Kyrgios told him he thought the play was legit. But he didn’t seem at all upset about the penalty. Instead, she continued to complain to chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore about the service clock being enforced, a conflict that began in the first set. The good news for Kyrgios is that the point didn’t cost him. He ended up breaking Medvedev’s next serve and won the set, 6-3 to take a 2-1 lead in the match with a 7-6 (13-11), 3-6, 6-3, 6 -2 victory to stun the world’s No. 1 player and advance to a quarterfinal match with Russia’s Karen Khachanov. Only Nikos Kyrgios. Nick Kyrgios, of Australia, celebrates his victory against Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, during the fourth round of the US Open tennis championship, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
