Roger Federer and Nick Kyrgios may seem like polar opposites in personalities and game styles, but the Swiss maestro believes they have more in common than fans may realise. The pair will square off on Thursday for a spot in the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open. Both have weathered challenging draws to reach the last eight in Indian Wells, with Kyrgios taking out No. 18 seed Alexander Zverev and three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic, and Federer ousting fifth seed Rafael Nadal in a highly-anticipated fourth-round clash. They've also put on flawless serving displays, with neither player dropping serve this fortnight. The high level of tennis that Kyrgios has produced this fortnight and in his semi-final run at the Abierto...
There was only one person happier than Roger Federer with the way his backhand performed on Wednesday in his spectacular display of aggression to defeat Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-3 in the BNP Paribas Open fourth round. That was his father Robert, who witnessed from courtside the laser-like backhands cannonball past the Spaniard. “First thing he told me after the match was 'Great match, great backhands,” said Federer, speaking to Tennis Channel. "He's basically been the first guy to tell me, ‘Hit the backhand, damn it! Don't fall back and slice all the time." Victory at Indian Wells marked the first time Federer had beaten Nadal three times in a row in their gladiatorial 36 FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings. On numerous...
Roger Federer expresses his delight at beating his long-time rival Rafael Nadal on Wednesday for a place in the BNP Paribas Open quarter-finals. Watch live matches at tennistvcom.
Watch Wednesday highlights from the 2017 BNP Paribas Open, where there were victories from Roger Federer, Nick Kyrgios and Stan Wawrinka. Watch live matches at tennistvcom. Photo: Getty Images
Channeling the same game plan that reaped the ultimate reward in the Australian Open final in January, Roger Federer has put on a stunning display of aggression to defeat fifth seed Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open. The four-time champion prevailed 6-2, 6-3 to set a quarter-final showdown with Australian Nick Kyrgios, after the Australian’s earlier upset of defending champion Novak Djokovic. Federer’s victory marked the first time he had defeated Nadal three times in a row in 36 FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings, following his five-set triumph in Melbourne in January and a three-set win in the 2015 Basel final. The last time Nadal tasted victory was in the 2014 Australian Open semi-finals. This was the first...