Nick Kyrgios has previously called his quarter final opponent an ‘absolute pelican’, with a bitter social media feud likely to provide their US Open clash with plenty of extra spice.
The fiery Aussie came to blows with Karen Khachanov on Twitter at the height of the pandemic in September 2020, with Kyrgios slamming the Russian, and other players, for their lackadaisical approach to COVID.
The duo are set to square off on Wednesday at approximately 10.15am (AEST), with the winner to face either Casper Ruud or Matteo Berrettini in the semi finals.
Their very public Twitter feud has set the stage for a tense showdown.
Nick Kyrgios is set to take on Russian Karen Khachanov in the quarter finals, with his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi a constant presence in his supporter box at the US Open
After Kyrgios called Novak Djokovic’s ill-fated Adria Tour ‘bone-headed’ because the Serbian star and many others contracted Covid after tennis and wild nightclub parties, Khachanov hit back.
‘Once you are sitting at home and writing different comments about players that makes me think who has the real problem,’ he wrote on Twitter.
Kyrgios wasn’t having a bar of it, slamming what he saw as a lack of intelligence from players who refused to follow common sense Covid protocols.
‘So you think what the players did during this pandemic was smart? I’d love to have an intellectual conversation with you but I’m not sure it would go further than how hard you could hit a ball. I’ve simply been holding people accountable,’ he shot back.
Russian Karen Khachanov reacts after beating Pablo Carreno in their fourth round clash
The Russian told Kyrgios to ‘read a few books instead of playing video games’ before discussing his intelligence, and it set the Aussie off.
‘I’ve also been feeding the hungry, helping open up new facilities for kids to get active. But way to do your research you absolute pelican,’ wrote Kyrgios.
While the pair haven’t engaged in any public feuding since then, there will no doubt still be some lingering tension during their clash.
Kyrgios has been in career-best form after slumping to 137th in the rankings in February after a run to the Wimbledon final, ATP title and defeating world number one Daniil Medvedev last round.
Nick Kyrgios gestures towards his supporters box, venting his frustration in his fourth-round win over Daniil Medvedev
The temperamental 28-year-old said he just decided to finally knuckle down and put in the hard work.
‘I looked at the people closest to me and how much I was letting them down, and I didn’t want to do that any more,’ Kyrgios said.
‘I just tried to just look at my career. I was like, ‘I feel like I’ve got so much left to give to the sport’.
‘That’s it. I just trained hard. I just put my head down, ‘Look, let’s get in shape, better shape, first of all. Let’s see, like, how it goes’,’ said Kyrgios.
Nick Kyrgios enjoys some sightseeing with girlfriend Costeen Hatzi in Washington DC before the US Open. He credits Hatzi for her influence on his better playing results
Kyrgios had become known more for seemingly giving up during matches than his prodigious talent, but he feels like he has a better balance now – with girlfriend Costeen Hatzi also a positive influence.
‘I had great results, shocking results, try really hard, then tanking. I just didn’t know how to deal with it,’ he said about his prior struggles over the past six to seven years.
‘Now I feel like I know the process now of what it takes to get to a final of a grand slam. Not to win it yet, but to get to the final.’
For his part, Khachanov knows he will face a different beast in New York.
‘Nick said by himself that he doesn’t recognise himself in a way how professional he is right now,’ the Russian said.
‘I think Wimbledon showed him if he does the things like he does now, the kind of level he has, what he’s capable of.’
Nick Kyrgios celebrates after winning his previous encounter with Karen Khachanov at the 2020 Australian Open
The duo have split their only two encounters, with Kyrgios winning the last: a marathon five-set match at the 2020 Australian Open.
Either way, Wednesday morning’s quarter final will be unmissable television, as the two pick up where they left off on Twitter and battle for a spot in the semis.
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