Nick Kyrgios will have to overcome the “gun forehand” of Cristian Garin if the firebrand Australian is to advance to the final four at Wimbledon, Wally Masur says.
The Australian tennis icon believes Kyrgios will defeat the Chilean in four sets in their quarter-final clash on Wednesday night (AEST), but he considers the underdog a “bull”.
Kyrgios has been steeling himself for his round-of-eight encounter in the more concealed areas of the All England Club, after news broke on Tuesday night of the former world No.13 being charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend.
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As British television crews hounded Kyrgios, the 27-year-old was overheard saying to a member of his entourage, “I feel like I’m in The Last Dance” — a reference to the blockbuster Netflix series about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
Masur said he’d leave Kyrgios’ legal issue to play out in court, but the former top-level coach unpacked the challenge presented by Garin.
“He’s a great clay-courter. Clay-courters don’t beat themselves. They’re well conditioned,” Masur said on Stan Sports’ Grand Slam Daily.
“And he’s a bit of a bull. He’s got a gun forehand. Obviously that’s something Nick will have to look out for … He’ll work hard to look for forehands to dominate the court. That’s (Garin’s) real strength.
“Backhand is safe, serve is safe, movement is good, endurance is good.”
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Garin dispatched Sweden’s Elias Ymer, Frenchman Hugo Grenier, American Jenson Brooksby and Australian Alex de Minaur en route to the quarter-finals.
The world No.43 dropped the first two sets against de Minaur before fighting back and winning a fifth-set tiebreak, the match exceeding four-and-a-half hours.
But Masur thinks Garin has the fitness to be primed for his date with Kyrgios.
“I think he’ll recover from the match against Alex, that tough five-setter,” Masur said.
“I think he’ll recover pretty well.”
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