This is what makes Rafa great, says Kyrgios

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Nick Kyrgios threw his racquet at the court, a symbolic gesture of frustration. Why not? In his mind, he already had thrown away his biggest match of the season.

Sport is awash in possibilities — the what-ifs, could-haves and should-haves. We learned that long ago, so it does no good to think Kyrgios looked very much as if he would defeat Rafael Nadal.

Because he didn’t.

Just the way over two months no one has defeated Nadal, from the Australian Open to Thursday’s quarterfinal in the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

Rafa’s 7-6 (0), 5-7, 6-4 triumph in the sweltering 85-degree weather of the Coachella Valley — yes, it’s dry heat, but in a three-hour match, who cares? — gave him a mark of 19-0 for 2022.

And it gave Kyrgios, the 25-year-old Aussie with such athletic ability, and we’re told such potential, the agonizing second thoughts that inhabit the disappointed.

“That one hit pretty hard,” conceded Kyrgios, who got into the tournament as a wild card.

“I felt like, honestly, I was the one to end the streak. I felt like I was playing well. I felt like I did everything right in the first set that I planned to do. I sat down with my coach, myself, and I had a game plan, and everything was working. Two points away from the first set, I don't know how he got out of that game. 5-4, 30-15, just kept replaying that point over and over and … over again.”

Rafa got out of it because, at 35, he has the experience and most significantly the wherewithal. In short, been there, done that.

Nadal has won more than 400 matches, on clay — all those French Opens — on grass and as the surface is at Indian Wells, hard court.

“And competing, competing,” reminded Kyrgios about Nadal’s persistence.

“Somehow snagged the second and a couple points in the third that just, a couple break points. One of them I couldn't do anything on and two, I just missed a backhand by who knows, three inches. That's all it is against Rafa all the time.”

You don’t give Nadal an opportunity. The way you don’t give Tom Brady or didn’t give a younger LeBron James an opportunity. They’ll find a way to beat you, or to let you beat yourself.

“I did it emotionally and mentally,” explained Nadal about winning when others might not have won. “I was ready to keep fighting. So happy with the victory and of course happy with the level of the set.”

Analysts sought reasons, breaking down the little things, the response to some of Kyrgios’ errors, forced or unforced, or to Rafa’s own errors. No one, however, took issue with Kyrgios getting blanked, shut out in the first-set tiebreak. When’s the last time anybody, much less a quality player like Kyrgios, failed to score a tiebreak point?

Nadal, as is his right, wanted to reflect on the result, the victory. The rest is trivia, except for the guys and girls in the press box.

“For me, it was one more match,” said Nadal .“Honestly, no, it's another match of quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 in a big stadium, one of the best stadiums in the world, in front of a great crowd, great opponent in front.

“So for me it was like this, another (hard-fought) match that I needed to play, to play well to go through. I enjoy these kinds of matches. I enjoy the challenges. And today, I was able to keep going, and that makes me happy and makes me proud.”

Rafa said he wasn’t aware Kyrgios hurled his racquet after the final point. What Kyrgios was aware of was his opponent.

“He's too good, I guess.,” Kyrgios said. “He played a few points well and he got out of it and that's what he does. That's what makes him great.”

Exactly.