Despite their disparity in the rankings, Nick Kyrgios managed to defeat Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets in the Battle of the Sexes.
Kyrgios expressed fears about Sabalenka’s baseline game ahead of the match, but in the end he had just too much for the world number one.
The match was not as straightforward as the scoreline suggested, and Kyrgios looked to struggle with his fitness during the match.
The Australian was complimentary about Sabalenka’s level after the match and pinpointed her width as incredibly impressive.
What Aryna Sabalenka did that really impressed Nick Kyrgios
Kyrgios was full of praise for Sabalenka in the Battle of the Sexes press conference despite sweeping the world number one aside in straight sets.
“The first set was high level. I don’t think I had anything tactically that I was really focusing on but I knew that the match was going to get physical.
“Obviously losing the first serve makes it so you have to run and you have to tough out long points. Her weapon is her first serve, I have one of the best serves in the world, but you have to pull it back and rely on your physicality to run back and forth.”
Kyrgios expected fitness to take its toll for Sabalenka, but he was impressed by what she managed against him.
“I knew she was maybe going to get slightly tired. But she hit some incredible shots, she really impressed me when I got her wide on her backhand and her forehand. She is really strong out there.
“Where I thought I was going to be able to expose her width wise, I did not actually have that much success. I had to serve smart. I am really impressed.
“I really had to make sure I served well, because the balls got really big and the court is very slow, so she could really get on top of it and we know she is aggressive, she is an amazing player.”
Sabalenka struggled with Kyrgios’ serve throughout the match, but she hit some impressive winners against the Australian.
The one positive Aryna Sabalenka received from facing Nick Kyrgios
While the match was widely criticised, both before and during the match, the Battle of the Sexes could do wonders for Sabalenka’s pre-season preparations.
The star had not previously played since the WTA Finals, and she is set to return to action at the beginning of January at the Brisbane International.
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Playing off against the power of someone like Kyrgios, despite the loss, can only be a good thing before her WTA Tour return.
The star has also been given the opportunity to acclimatise to the warm weather before heading Down Under.
Despite the controversy, Sabalenka’s match with Kyrgios could give her an edge over the rest of the WTA Tour in Australia.
