“A part of me wants the challenge, but a part of me knows that it's not gonna be easy at all” - Nick Kyrgios on his Canadian Open 2R clash against Daniil Medvedev

Nick Kyrgios breezed past Sebastian Baez at the National Bank Open to set up a mouth-watering clash against Daniil Medvedev in the second round. The Aussie was in fine form in his opening-round match, picking up a 6-4, 6-4 win, his seventh consecutive victory.

Coming to Montreal on the back of winning his seventh ATP tour title in Washington last week, Kyrgios took an hour and 25 minutes to beat the Argentine.

Speaking to Tennis Channel after his win, Kyrgios spoke highly of Medvedev ahead of their fourth career meeting.

“He's a hell of a player, it's incredible to see how he plays. He returns so far back and hits some crazy shots that we've never seen before. He does it his own way, he’s unorthodox, he's really special to the game. I love watching him play to be honest because he just looks so crazy out there, it's like nothing I've ever seen. I love people who just play the way they want to play, he’s comfortable in his own skin,” he said.

While the 27-year-old knows that he’ll be up against a tough opponent, he’s also relishing the challenge.

“I'd like to play 95% of the draw next around. If it's anything like today, I know it's gonna be a lot of balls coming back and it's gonna be tough. A part of me wants the challenge, but a part of me knows that it's not gonna be easy at all. I'm not gonna shy away from it. I'm gonna do everything I can. I'm gonna recover and rest,” said Kyrgios.

The World No. 37, who jumped 26 places in the ATP rankings thanks to his Citi Open triumph, was confident about getting the better of the World No. 1.

“There will be two contrasting styles as well. Obviously, [you are] not gonna get much different tennis from me. I'm gonna serve massive, play big and try to dictate. If I do that well, it usually works,” Nick Kyrgios stated.

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Nick Kyrgios credits girlfriend Costeen Hatzi for improvement in his game

Nick Kyrgios and his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi

Nick Kyrgios is enjoying arguably his best-ever season on the tour. Raked 37 in the world, he would have been much higher on the list if ranking points were offered at Wimbledon, where he reached his maiden Grand Slam final.

He ended his three-year wait for his seventh ATP singles title when he won the Citi Open in Washington last week.

Speaking at a press conference following his Citi Open triumph, he stated that he has become more mature and also hinted at his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi as a motivating factor.

“Honestly, I feel as if I'm a lot older, a lot more mature, and I feel like when you get older, you realize you shouldn't be taking these things for granted, the way you're feeling, the way your body feels. Also, I have a partner with me now I see a future with and I kind of see that I have to provide for. So I feel like my motivation is a lot higher than it used to be,” Kyrgios said.

“I don't care about what people say about my tennis, like always disrespectful to the sport, all this, all that. I know that deep down that I try really hard to do it my own way. I know that I inspire millions of people, and I'm just playing for them,” he added.