Nick Kyrgios ended Daniil Medvedev’s hopes of retaining his US Open crown as he defeated the Russian in a four-set thriller in New York.
The Australian won the match 7-6 (13-11) 3-6 6-3 6-2. As a result of his fourth round exit, Medvedev will lose his status as the world number one, while the Wimbledon finalist will move into the top 20.
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Speaking after his match against Medvedev, the 27-year-old said: "It was an amazing match. Daniil is the defending champion and a lot of pressure on his shoulders, but I've been playing great recently.
"People were really starting to doubt my ability to pull out matches like this at majors. I'm really proud of myself because it hasn't been easy dealing with all the criticism."
The Australian has regularly showcased his talent on court and has had the potential to become a majors champion, but there have been some hurdles to overcome, with his temperament called into question over the years.
But by reaching the Wimbledon final in July, Kyrgios showed that he had finally found the right balance on and off court to thrive. He may have been defeated by Novak Djokovic in SW19, but his fine form has carried on in North America as he won the Washington title in the build-up to the US Open.
He will go on to face Medvedev’s compatriot Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals. The 27th seed progressed to the last eight by beating Spanish 12th seed Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6 6-3 6-1 4-6 6-3.
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