Nick Kyrgios’ thrilling win over Rafael Nadal not without incident. Nick Kyrgios had played just six matches in 2019 before he clashed with Rafael Nadal on Wednesday evening in the Acapulco ATP 500. Kyrgios more than made up for lost time as he toppled the tournament’s top seed in an electric three-hour epic in signature Kyrgios fashion — with a welter of controversy. The curious thing is that the actions many — including Nadal — saw as inflammatory or unsporting weren’t the kind of indefensible transgressions that have earned Kyrgios notoriety. The controversial bits in Wednesday’s riveting match (Kyrgios dismissed three match points before he won 3-6, 7-6, 7-6) were an injury timeout between the first and second sets, the underarm “drop shot” serve he tried, and a complaint about the amount of time Nadal was taking between points — the latter two both in the third set. Fans and pundits can debate the nuances of the rules as well as Kyrgios’ actions, attitude and manners. But it’s pretty clear Kyrgios broke no rules in this match. He might, however, have driven spectators dangerously close to cardiac arrest with his dazzling shotmaking and that stirring comeback.
