Top 100 ranking for Kyrgios with Wimbledon run
Targeting a top 100 ranking by the end of the year as he arrived at Wimbledon, Nick Kyrgios achieved that goal within a week.
London, UK, 29 June 2014 | AAP
Targeting a top 100 ranking by the end of the year as he arrived at Wimbledon, Nick Kyrgios achieved it within a week.
The 19-year-old Australian’s third-round victory over Czech Jiri Vesely means he will achieve the milestone just a year after his transition from juniors to the men’s tour.
With Tuesday’s clash with world No.1 Rafael Nadal looming, Kyrgios isn’t about to revise his rankings target just yet.
“It’s a great milestone,” Kyrgios said of breaking the top 100.
“I will keep aiming higher and higher. Right now I won’t put a number on it.”
READ: Kyrgios riding wave of support
Kyrgios earned a wildcard at Wimbledon after winning a Challenger event in Nottingham but maintaining a top 100 spot would ensure automatic qualification to future Grand Slams.
It caps a remarkably-rapid rise for the Canberra teen, who was ranked lower than 800th at the start of last year before winning the Australian Open boys’ title.
The former top-ranked junior rocketed up the rankings after defeating Czech veteran Radek Stepanek on his Grand Slam main draw debut at last year’s French Open.
A first-round victory over Benjamin Becker at the Australian Open and three Challenger titles this year helped him arrive at Wimbledon with a career-high ranking of 144th.
His rise could have been even quicker had an elbow injury not kept him out for two months between February and April.
Kyrgios is bidding to become the youngest player to reach the quarterfinals at a grand slam since Bernard Tomic did it aged 18 at Wimbledon three years ago.
He would become the first player to reach the quarterfinals on their Wimbledon debut since Florian Mayer in 2004.