Canadian Masters: Kyrgios win streak ended by Hurkacz, Ruud strolls into semis

Enjoying a superb run of form, the loss was Kyrgios’s first since falling to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final.

A dejected Kyrgios reacts after losing a point againt Hubert Hurkacz | Photo Credit: AFP

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 has 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.

“Nick has been playing really unbelievable throughout the past few months,” said Hurkacz. “Battling against him, it’s very challenging, but it’s also fun.

“He can make every single shot. He doesn’t really have that many weaknesses, if any. I was just trying to serve good and stay aggressive.”

Kyrgios shrugged off the end of his winning streak, saying in his usual blunt fashion that he could not care less and was more interested in getting home after the U.S. Open to see his mother and father, who are not well.

“I honestly don’t care,” said Kyrgios, adding that he would head to Cincinnati as soon as possible where he will continue his build-up to the U.S. Open. “I’ve been away from home, away from my mum, away from my dad.

Fourth-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway routed hometown favorite Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 6-2 on Friday in the National Bank Open quarterfinals.

“It was one of those days where everything goes in one favor and luckily it was in my favor,” Ruud said after reaching his third Masters 1000 semifinal of the season.

Ruud advances to semis

Fourth-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway routed hometown favorite Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.

“It was one of those days where everything goes in one favor and luckily it was in my favor,” Ruud said after reaching his third Masters 1000 semifinal of the season.

The sixth-seeded Auger-Aliassime, made 21 unforced errors to just eight for Ruud.

”(My) first two matches were good, some positive things,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I never thought it would be ending like this today.”

Ruud will face eighth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz of Poland, a 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5), 6-1 winner over Nick Kyrgios of Australia.

In the night session, American Tommy Paul faced Britain’s Daniel Evans and Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta met British qualifier Jack Draper.