The result means Medvedev will relinquish his place at the top of the world rankings at the end of the tournament, while Kyrgios will appear in his first US Open quarter-final when he faces another Russian playing under a neutral flag, Karen Khachanov, the Tuesday. Medvedev later said he had struggled physically on court, but added that Kyrgios outplayed him in the final two sets. “Today, I felt a little sick,” he told reporters after the match. “The thing is, in the US I definitely get sick once in the crib because the AC is just crazy. Last year it happened in Cincinnati.” “I felt my neck a little bit today… At the same time, it’s no excuse at all because Nick played well.” It was the fourth time Kyrgios had beaten Medvedev in five meetings and the second time in as many months after the victory in Montreal. The Australian saved several set points in a tight first-set tiebreak — the first set Medvedev had lost in the tournament — before falling behind in the second set when he lost serve twice. Medvedev leveled the match, but momentum swung in Kyrgios’ favor when he won five straight points on Medvedev’s serve in the fourth game of the third set. The 23rd seed always looked the favorite to win the match from there, breaking twice in the fourth set to seal victory in almost three hours. He finished the match with 53 winners, 21 of which were aces. “I just thought I played the right way,” Kyrgios told reporters. “I came back unbelievable today. I thought the third and fourth sets were so free. I just had a lot of fun, I embraced every moment I got out on Ashe (Arthur Ashe Stadium) today. Really proud of that.” Kyrgios went on a nine-match unbeaten streak in the US Open bracket, instilling a new focus and consistency on court that has seen him enjoy significant success this season — something he attributes to overcoming mental health challenges over the past few years. “I feel like I’m just more proud of the way I came back after everything, honestly,” he said. “I’ve been in some really tough situations mentally and some really scary places. “Obviously, if you look at it on paper, I probably didn’t expect to win it. Maybe I’ll get a set or two if I’m lucky … I’m just sitting there in the dressing room afterwards and I’m really proud of the performance because there really was a moment where I didn’t think I was able to produce and do it now.’
