Wimbledon 2016: Nick Kyrgios beats Feliciano Lopez to set up Andy Murray contest
Tsonga beat Isner in epic; Del Potro out
Sunday 3 July 2016 22:04, UK
Nick Kyrgios set up a fourth round meeting with Andy Murray after a four-set victory over Spain's Feliciano Lopez at Wimbledon.
The pair were tied at one-set all overnight but Kyrgios kept his focus to win 6-3 6-7 6-3 6-4 on Court One to set up a date with the world No 2 on Centre Court on Monday.
A lively middle Sunday crowd certainly enjoyed the spectacle and Kyrgios will no doubt have been relieved to finish the job fairly quickly ahead of a fourth successive day of action.
The 21-year-old has never beaten Murray and lost to the Scot in three of the four majors in 2015 but despite a couple of controversial incidents, he has looked a more focused individual this year, rising to a career-high 18 in the world rankings and claiming his first ATP level title in the process.
He saved two break points in the eighth game of the fourth set with aces, the second a 122mph second serve, before clinching victory after two hours and 42 minutes and he is relishing his date with the home favourite.
"Andy Murray on Centre Court at Wimbledon - it doesn't get much better than that," he said.
"He is one of the best players in the world, he's a great guy and a great player."
Meanwhile the rest of the men's third round was completed on a day of glorious sunshine at the All-England Club and the stand-out match was Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's victory over John Isner.
Once again the big-serving American was involved in an epic contest but while he emerged victorious from an 11-hour marathon against Nicolas Mahut in 2010, he lost out this time.
Tsonga claimed the fifth and final set 19-17 to complete a remarkable turnaround.
Trailing by two sets he won a third-set tie-break in fading light at 9pm on Saturday night to take the match into People's Sunday.
The Frenchman reeled off the fourth set 6-2 before the final-set drama. Break points were few and far between with Isner wasting his only chance that would have given him the match at 16-15.
With the American visibly tiring, Tsonga took advantage and having earned a couple of break points took the set and the match.
Next up for Tsonga will be an all-French affair against Richard Gasquet. Last year's semi-finalist was also forced to battle back from a set down to beat Albert Ramos Vinolas 2-6 7-6 6-2 6-3.
Lucas Pouille ended the return to form of Juan Martin Del Potro with a four-set triumph, the draining nature of three days on and off court taking its toll on the Argentine who had beat Stan Wawrinka in the second round.
However, he could not keep the run going and it was 22-year-old Pouille who continued his career-best Grand Slam showing with a 6-7 7-6 7-5 6-1 victory that takes him into a fourth round showdown with Bernard Tomic.
Also in the last 16 is Tomas Berdych, impressively seeing off the challenge of the immensely talented Alexander Zverev 6-3 6-4 4-6 6-1.
The Czech was dominant for the first two sets before Zverev hinted at a fightback by taking the third, however the 19-year-old showed his inexperience in the fourth set, being broken three times as Berdych booked his place in the fourth round.
Seeded 10th this year, Berdych's only Grand Slam final came at the All England Club in 2010 when he lost to Rafael Nadal and surprisingly that is the only time he has gone beyond the quarter-finals.
He will face fellow Czech Jiri Vesely in the last 16, the 22-year-old booked a first ever Grand Slam fourth round place with another straight sets victory.
Vesely has yet to drop a set at the championships and beat Joao Sousa 6-3 6-3 7-5, the second seed he has beaten having knocked out eighth seed Dominic Thiem in the second round.
