The Australian Open fourth round match between Nick Kyrgios and Rafael Nadal is one of the most anticipated ties in the first grand slam of the season. The two share a rivalry that is “salty” to quote Kyrgios. The tie got an emotional touch to it when Kyrgios walked onto Rod Laver Arena wearing an LA Lakers no.8 jersey as a tribute to legendary basketball player Kobe Bryant. Bryant and his 13-year-old Gianna died in a helicopter crash on Sunday.
Kyrgios took off the jersey as he came on to receive Nadal's serve. Nadal and Kyrgios have met each other seven times with the Spaniard winning on four occasions. The world number one won their most recent encounter at the 2019 Wimbledon where he won in four sets. The match had its share of fiery moments, most notably when Kyrgios aimed a smash at Nadal while he was at the net.
While Nadal enjoys a lot of crowd support at Melbourne Park, many will rally behind Kyrgios, who is part Australian. Nadal hasn't dropped a set at the Australian Open while Kyrgios is coming after a five-hour match against big-serving Russian Khachanov.
