INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Novak Djokovic’s 19-match winning streak at the BNP Paribas Open ended in a 6-4, 7-6 (3) fourth-round upset loss to Nick Kyrgios on Wednesday.
It was Kyrgios’ second win over the world’s second-ranked player in two weeks, having beaten Djokovic in straight sets at Acapulco on March 2.
Djokovic was bidding for a fourth consecutive title at the desert tournament, having won a total of five in his career. But he unraveled with 25 unforced errors, including a forehand service return on Kyrgios’ second match point.
Kyrgios advanced to the quarterfinals, where he will face either Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal, who played later. The 15th-seeded Australian hit 14 aces, with his fastest serve clocking 141 mph, and won 86 per cent of his first serve points.
Federer and Nadal were facing each other in their earliest meeting since they first played in 2004 in the third round at Miami. Nadal owns a 23-12 lead in their 13-year rivalry.
Joining Kyrgios in the quarterfinals were No. 4 seed Kei Nishikori, who defeated Donald Young 6-2, 6-4; No. 21 Pablo Carreno Busta, who beat qualifier Dusan Lajovic; and No. 27 Pablo Cuevas, who outlasted 11th-seeded David Goffin 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
On the women’s side, No. 8 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova beat 19th-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 6-2 to reach the semifinals.
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