(Reuters) – Nick Kyrgios’s nine-match winning streak ended in the Canadian Masters semi-finals on Friday when eighth-seeded Pole Hubert Hurkacz blasted his way to a 7-6(4) 6-7(5) 6-1 victory.
Enjoying a superb run of form, the loss was Kyrgios’s first since falling to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final.
Since then the 27-year-old had been on a roll, including a title at the Citi Open, before running into Hurkacz who improves his record to 2-0 against the Australian following a three sets win earlier this year in the Halle semi-finals.
Hurkacz awaits the winner of hometown favourite sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and Norwegian fourth seed Casper Ruud.
The two big servers pounded away at each other on Centre Court with Hurkacz blasting 20 aces and Kyrgios hitting back with 19 in a contest that produced two breaks, both going to the Pole in the final set.
Kyrgios started the match serving at a quick-fire pace as the opening set reached a tiebreak in 33 minutes with Hurkacz winning it.
After holding serve to open the second, Kyrgios had a superb opportunity to take control with triple break point but was unable convert.
Hurkacz would also have his opportunities but could not get the elusive break as the second set again sped to a tiebreak -this time won by Kyrgios who clinched the set with an ace.
What had been a tight contest suddenly turned in the third when Hurkacz, helped by a pair of Kyrgios double faults, secured the first break.
With the help of yet another Kyrgios double-fault Hurkacz broke the Australian again to go 5-1 up and held serve to book his place in the last four.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)
