Nick Kyrgios produced a masterclass on Thursday to beat Filip Krajinovic in straight sets in their second-round encounter. The Australian needed just 85 minutes to beat Queen’s Club finalist Krajinovic 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 on Court 2.
The 27-year-old took the Serbian to the cleaners, firing 24 aces and winning 93 per cent (37/40) of his first serve points to book his place in the third round.
Speaking after his win, a confident Kyrgios said that he was very happy with his performance against Krajinovic and stated that he has his eyes on the Wimbledon title.
“I'm just happy [with my performance today]. I’ve been working hard and I've been preparing for this tournament. It's been circled on my calendar pretty much all year and I'm so excited to be here again. I think it's my best chance to win a Grand Slam of all the four. I'll keep taking it match by match, I've got an incredibly tough draw. Today I couldn't have played better and now I can just recover and get ready,” Nick Kyrgios said.
This performance was in stark contrast to his opening-round win against British wildcard Paul Jubb, where he needed five sets to come through. Kyrgios attributed his slow start at SW19 this year to nerves.
“I mean, obviously, nerves [played a big part in the first round]. I think just getting over the line in the first round was massive. I've been playing some really good tennis over the last month, so I was really surprised with the way I played the other day, it wasn't great. But there were a lot of positives too. I didn't play at my best and got through, Kyrgios said.
“Today obviously I was kind of in my zone, just great body language, just played well and I just wanted to remind everyone that I'm pretty good,” he added.
“My body comes first, I'll do whatever is best for my singles right now” - Nick Kyrgios
Following the defeat of Filip Krajinovic, Nick Kyrgios set up a third-round clash with either fourth-seeded Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas or compatriot Jordan Thompson.
The Aussie is also competing in the men’s doubles, alongside his countryman Thanasi Kokkinakis. The pair are scheduled to take on Soonwoo Kwon and Aljaz Bedene on Court 16 later today.
Speaking about his doubles campaign, Kyrgios stated that his priority at Wimbledon is the singles.
“We'll see [if you have to bring the popcorn out], you know. Obviously, we have a lot of fun every time we step out on the court together, but my body comes first so I'll do whatever is best for my singles right now,” Nick Kyrgios said.