Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios, seeking his first title in three years, advanced to the men’s final at the ATP and WTA Washington Open with a tight victory over Sweden’s Mikael Ymer.
Australia’s 63rd-ranked Kyrgios edged 115th-ranked Ymer 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 and will play for the crown Sunday against the later winner between top seed Andrey Rublev and Japan’s 96th-ranked Yoshihito Nishioka.
Kyrgios, who won the most recent of his six ATP titles at Washington in 2019, has a 2-1 career mark against Rublev and a 3-0 record against Nishioka.
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Nick Kyrgios celebrates victory. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“I didn’t get to sleep until 4.50am, I just had so much adrenaline after (the Tiafoe win),” Kyrgios said.
“I got some treatment and my body was just so sore after last night. It was an epic battle.
“I didn’t really do much today but I felt like my energy was a little flat early on today and it’s understandable, I’m only human.
“My adrenaline for the final is going to be right there and I’m super excited for it. I’ve got doubles tonight, work on my returns a little bit. I returned pretty poorly tonight I’m not going to lie, so hopefully I can turn it up a little tonight.”
Kyrgios then backed it up to book a spot in the final doubles shortly after alongside American Jack Sock, making it two victories in the space of around five hours.
Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi, trying to end a nine-year WTA title drought at age 37, and 60th-ranked Liudmila Samsonova will meet in the women’s final at the US Open tuneup.
World number 37 Kanepi eliminated Australia’s Daria Saville 6-3, 6-1 in 73 minutes while Samsonova routed China’s Wang Xiyu 6-1, 6-1 in 67 minutes.
Kyrgios won the last three points in the first-set tiebreaker, Ymer sending a forehand long to end an intense rally before Kyrgios added a service winner and overhead smash.
Ymer, who lost his only ATP final last August in Winston-Salem, botched a forehand volley in the third game of the second set to miss a chance to grab a break point.
Kyrgios earned the first break points of the match in the eighth game and took advantage on his third chance with a passing forehand winner to break for a 5-3 edge, then held to claim the match after 94 minutes on his 10th ace.
The Aussie fired 28 winners with only 15 unforced errors and dropped only four points on his second serve.
Nick Kyrgios returns a shot. Patrick Smith/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
Rublev seeks his 12th career crown and fourth title of the season after Marseille, Dubai and Belgrade, hoping to match Spaniards Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz for the most ATP trophies this year.
Nishioka, in his first ATP semi-final since 2020 at Delray Beach, won his only ATP title in 2018 at Shenzhen.
Nishioka and Rublev split two prior meetings, Nishioka winning at Sydney in 2019 and Rublev at last year’s ATP Cup.
Kanepi seeks her fifth career WTA title but her first since the 2013 Brussels Open. She won her only WTA hardcourt title at Brisbane in 2012.
Into her first WTA final since a 2021 Australian Open tuneup at Melbourne, Kanepi dominated Saville’s first WTA semi-final since 2018 at Acapulco.
“I played my best match,” Kanepi said. “Everything was very smooth for me. I hit a lot of lines.”
Kyrgios wins hearts with gift for fan | 00:37
Kanepi reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final since 2017 at this year’s Australian Open and credited that for a confidence boost crucial to her success this year.
“It was amazing,” she said. “I never thought I would make quarters in Australia. I thought it’s not just my place. But I played really well, and then I continued playing well. I didn’t actually put any pressure on myself to achieve something special.”
Samsonova, 23, won her only meeting with Kanepi in last year’s first round at Wimbledon. Samsonova is into her first WTA hardcourt final, having won her only prior tour final at last year’s German Open.
The Tigers will be without Jackson Hastings for the rest of the season after he suffered an ugly leg break against the Broncos.
Hastings had his leg caught under him in an ugly tackle that saw Broncos forward Patrick Carrigan placed on report for a hip drop tackle.
Scans confirmed a broken leg for Hastings who will undergo surgery that rules him out for an extended period.
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Meanwhile, the Eels have copped a massive blow in their hunt for the top four with star halfback Mitchell Moses reportedly suffering a broken finger.
Brent Read told Triple M that Moses will be ruled out for at least a month after suffering in the injury in last night’s win over the Panthers. Moses appeared to injure his finger at him in the 31st minute, and had it strapped by a physio shortly afterwards, but managed to finish the match.
Moses will reportedly undergo surgery and could miss the remainder of the regular season.
COWBOYS LOSE FLYER TO HAMSTRING INJURY
The Cowboys will be sweating on a hamstring injury to winger Kyle Feldt after he limped off in their 34-8 win over the Dragons.
STORM FULLBACK CRISIS WORSENS
Meanwhile, the Storm’s outside back injury crisis has worsened with replacement fullback Nick Meaney going off against the Warriors with a shoulder injury.
Meaney fell on the point of his shoulder from a great height after he was taken out in the air by Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
“He fell awkwardly and I wouldn’t be surprised if he has quite a significant AC joint injury the way that shoulder came down right on the point,” Warren Smith said on Fox League.
“Melbourne in all sorts of problems here. They were chasing Reece Walsh to be a fullback.
“Tyran Wishart will come on and play fullback now after they already lost Ryan Papenhuyzen for the season.”
Nick Meaney suffered a shoulder injury.Source: FOX SPORTS
Coach Craig Bellamy was hopeful after the game that it wasn’t a serious injury and revealed there are some positive signs.
“He’s done something to his right shoulder but I don’t think we’re quite sure of what he’s done,” he said.
“It looked pretty dire when he came off, he obviously had the sling on. But it’s looking a bit better at the moment, they don’t think it’s quite as bad as what they thought it was at the start.”
In the same game, Warriors five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita succumbed to a leg injury in the first half and left the field.
“We’re thinking it’s an MCL… he’ll have scans to see the extent of the injury. But our medical officer said it’s an MCL injury,” interim coach Stacey Jones said after the game.
Brain fade gives Niche a golden moment | 00:51
ROOSTERS STAR SUFFERS UGLY CONCUSSION
Roosters prop Lindsay Collins has suffered a nasty head knock, colliding with the head of Morgan Boyle.
Collins bounced out of the tackle, knocking himself unconscious before leaving the field with the assistance of the club doctor and trainer.
The 26-year-old was one of three players who left the field in the first four minutes of the Origin decider and was playing his first game since the blow, spending two weeks sidelined due to ongoing concussion symptoms.
“I fear for Lindsay here, he went straight down… he has copped both head and shoulder, that is incredibly heavy on Lindsay Collins,” Andrew Voss said.
“You could see the contact,” Greg Alexander said.
“That is worrying for a player that is only returning this round because of concussion.”
Fox League’s James Hooper confirmed Collins would not return to the field in Round 20.
“Category 1 concussion, his night is over,” Fox League’s James Hooper said.
PANTHERS’ INJURY UPDATE
The Panthers have copped a significant blow with star five-eighth Jarome Luai expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks.
The club confirmed the timeline on Thursday and revealed that Luai had suffered a high grade MCL injury.
Penrith also revealed that Mitch Kenny (knee) and Stephen Crichton (ear/concussion) could return next week.
“I can do it all!” Foxx delivers try | 00:39
TIGERS’ BIG BLOW
Luke Brooks will miss Round 20 and likely the rest of the season after suffering a calf injury at training.
The Wests Tigers confirmed on Thursday that Brooks will be out for five to six weeks with Jock Madden the man expected to replace him in the halves.
The Tigers also revealed Luke Garner is a good chance of returning from a neck injury in Round 21, Stefano Utoikamanu has commended a running program after undergoing wrist surgery and Tommy Talau will return to full team training over the next month.
Read on for the full NRL casualty ward.
ROUND 20 INJURIES
Lindsay Collins (head knock) – TBC
Nick Meaney (shoulder) – TBC
Chanel Harris-Tavita (knee) – TBC
Mitchell Moses (finger) – Finals
Adam Elliott (hip) – TBC
Jackson Hastings (leg) – season
Kyle Feldt (hamstring) – TBC
FULL CASUALTY WARD
BRONCOS
Selwyn Cobbo (concussion) – Round 21
Albert Kelly (foot) – Round 21
TC Robati (arm) – Round 21
Te Maire Martin (ribs) – indefinite
Herbie Farnworth (biceps) – indefinite
Jordan Pereira (illness) – indefinite
raiders
Adam Elliott (hip) – TBC
James Schiller (ankle) – Round 21
Jordan Rapana (suspended) – Round 21
Semi Valemei (knee) – Round 21
Harry Rushton (jaw) – Round 25
Trey Mooney (ankle) – indefinite
Jarrod Croker (shoulder) – season
Josh Hodgson (knee) – season
Harley Smith-Shields (knee) – season
BULLDOGS
Paul Alamoti (cheekbone) – Round 21
Corey Allan (groin) – Round 22
Ava Seumanufagai (calf) – Round 22
Corey Waddell (suspension) – Round 25
Luke Thompson (concussion) – indefinite
Jack Hetherington (shoulder) – season
Billy Tsikrikas (knee) – season
Raymond Faitala-Mariner (ribs) – Round 21
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SHARKS
Dale Finucane (suspension) – Round 22
Royce Hunt (shoulder) – indefinite
Jack Williams (shoulder) – season
Sione Katoa (pectoral) – season
TITANS
Joe Vuna (knee) – indefinite
Shallin Fuller (leg) – season
BE EAGLES
Sean Keppie (shoulder) – Round 21
Ben Trbojevic (head knock) – TBC
Tom Trbojevic (shoulder) – finals/World Cup
Karl Lawton (knee) – season
Morgan Boyle (ankle) – indefinite
STORM
Nick Meaney (shoulder) – TBC
Jack Howarth (shoulder) – Round 21
Will Warbrick (quad) – Round 21
Tepai Moeroa (shoulder) – Round 21
Brandon Smith (suspended) – Round 21
Xavier Coates (ankle) – Round 22
Trent Loiero (back) – indefinite
Ryan Papenhuyzen (knee) – season
Reimis Smith (pectoral) – season
Christian Welch (Achilles) – season
George Jennings (knee) – season
KNIGHTS
Kalyn Ponga (concussion) – indefinite
Kurt Mann (quad) – Round 21
Bradman Best (thumb) – Round 22
Lachlan Fitzgibbon (shoulder) – indefinite
Chris Vea’ila (leg) – indefinite
Bailey Hodgson (elbow) – season
Dylan Lucas (pectoral) – season
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COWBOYS
Kyle Feldt (hamstring) – TBC
Jordan McLean (hamstring) – Round 24
Mitch Dunn (knee) – season
Heilum Luki (knee) – season
EELS
Haze Dunster (knee) – season
Ray Stone (knee) – season
Mitch Moses (finger) – Finals
PANTHERS
Eddie Blacker (hamstring) – Round 21
Mitch Kenny (knee) – Round 21-22
Stephen Crichton (ear/concussion) – Round 21
Kurt Falls (leg) – Round 21
Mavrik Geyer (thumb) – Round 21
Jarome Luai (knee) – Round 25-finals
Nathan Cleary (suspension) – Finals
‘Personally it wouldn’t be an issue’ | 01:59
RABBITOHS
Peter Mamouzelos (wrist) – Round 24
Hame Sele (hamstring) – Round 25
Michael Chee Kam (thumb) – Round 25
Campbell Graham (cheekbone) – indefinite
Liam Knight (knee) – season
Jacob Host (shoulder) – season
Jed Cartwright (hamstring) – TBC
Taane Milne (hand) – Round 21
dragons
Cody Ramsey (knee) – Round 22
Jayden Sullivan (shoulder) – Round 23
Mikaele Ravalawa (hamstring) – Finals
Moses Suli (ankle) – Finals
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