TITLE TARGET FOR BEATEN KYRGIOS
Teenage sensation Nick Kyrgios believes he will one day return to Wimbledon and lift the men's singles trophy.
The 19-year-old Australian was outgunned by clinical Canadian Milos Raonic in Wednesday's quarter-final, unable to repeat his giant-killing removal of two-time champion Rafael Nadal.
The showmanship that lit up the world number 144's fourth-round dismissal of five-time finalist Nadal was sorely lacking against Raonic, leaving Kyrgios frustrated but gracious after his four-set defeat.
Targeting the Wimbledon title in the years ahead, Kyrgios vowed to build the mental and physical resolve for a prolonged career at the top of the sport.
"I think I'm capable of coming back to do something like win here," said Kyrgios, who will break into the world's top 60 for the first time.
"I'm not going to put so much pressure on myself, I'm just going to do the work, do everything right.
"If my game continues to develop, I think I do have a shot.
"Milos was far better physically than I was. He looked fresh by the end of the match.
"It was noticeable I was struggling a bit. I'm going to work on the physical side of things, to get better in many areas.
"I can name millions of things that need to improve."
Raonic claimed his first grand slam semi-final berth and a fifth meeting with seven-time Wimbledon king Roger Federer with his 6-7 (4/7) 6-2 6-4 7-6 (7/4) triumph.
The 23-year-old eighth seed proved a comfortable winner once he unpicked Kyrgios' howitzer serve and imposed his own bullet delivery.
Kyrgios already realises beating Nadal effectively changed his life overnight, hailing an unforgettable Wimbledon debut.
"It's been a special week for me, but at the same time it's been so exhausting - I've got nothing left to give," he said.
"That's what grand slams do to you.
"To go further, I've got to get stronger.
"This tells me there's a lot of room for improvement, but at the same time there's something special I have that means I can make it deep into slams.
"I'm doing it at 19, so in the future there's going to be something there that can take me that bit further.
"I've noticed the change even from Tuesday to Wednesday.
"The first day I was walking around the crowds and no one noticed me at all.
"Then I was walking around this morning and everyone was recognising me.
"I never thought I'd make the quarter-finals after beating Nadal, it hasn't really sunk in still yet, so the next few days will be chance to reflect."
Raonic tipped Kyrgios to continue his rise through the ranks - but warned the next transitions will not be nearly so meteoric.
"In 2011 I broke through and I did a lot of things quickly, but there was still a lot of developing I had to do," Raonic said.
"There was a lot of learning, developing and building understanding about myself.
"There's a lot you have to go through.
"I have a lot more understanding now, but I don't think you can do that in one year - the next steps are much harder.
"I don't know how I would have reacted to a victory like his over Nadal when I was 19.
"But he's done very, very well. It's inspirational in a lot of ways for a lot of people to see."
