‘I’m missing home’ – Tired Nick Kyrgios downs ‘hell of a player’ Alex De Minaur at Canadian Open

Nick Kyrgios continued his impressive run at the Canadian Open with a straight-sets win over Alex De Minaur to reach the quarter-finals, but he admitted that he was missing home.

Kyrgios said that it was “incredibly tough” playing again so soon after his memorable win over Medvedev and went on to speak of his tiredness and missing being home as he nears the end of a brilliant season.

“Incredibly tough after yesterday’s big high, playing Daniil, and the crowd was amazing. It was a day I’ll probably never, ever forget,” Kyrgios said of his upset win.

“Today was really hard mentally for me to go out here and play Alex. We’re such good friends and he’s been having such a good career so far and carrying the Australian flag for so long. It was just tough mentally. It’s never easy to play a player like that, especially if they’re Australian.

“I just got out here and got the job done. I played the way I had to play. He’s a hell of a player. If you play to his strengths, he’s one of the best players we have in the game and he’s so fast. He’s going to have a hell of a career.

“These days are starting to blend into one another,” he continued. “I’m just kind of playing the game, physio, eat, sleep, play. It’s tiring, but that’s the sport. I am missing home a little bit, I’m not going to lie.

“I’ve got my mum and my dad, I haven’t seen [them] in about three months. So I’m missing home but at the same time I know that it’s only a couple of tournaments before I go [back].”

In reaching the quarter-finals, Kyrgios has assured himself of a seeding at the upcoming US Open due to moving up to No. 27 in the ATP Live Rankings and he admitted that it has been a goal of his.

“It was a goal, more so I didn’t get one of the big titans or gods [in the] first round,” he said. “I can actually work my way into the tournament.

“I always feel that my game is right there, no matter who I play. Today I felt amazing and hopefully, I can keep it going.”

– – –