Nick Kyrgios offers assessment of his performance versus Tommy Paul

• Tennis News
• Tennis Interviews

Nick Kyrgios is thrilled with how his Washington campaign has been going so far as he feels he has been playing near a flawless tennis this week. On Wednesday, Kyrgios saw off home favorite Paul 6-3 6-4 to progress into the Washington last-16.

Kyrgios broke Paul twice in the first set, before claiming his third break in the 10th game of the second set - when the American was serving to stay in the match. Kyrgios now owns a 2*-0 head-to-head versus Paul, having also beaten the American earlier this year in Houston.

"I always seem to find my best tennis when I play Tommy," Kyrgios said, per the ATP website. "I played pretty two flawless matches from a return and serve standpoint."

Kyrgios aims ranking points

Kyrgios' run to the Wimbledon final wasn't rewarded with ranking points following the ATP decision to sanction Wimbledon.

Kyrgios, the 63rd-ranked player in the world, wants to improve his ranking position ahead of the US Open. "I feel as if all these matches are so crucial. As I didn't get any [Pepperstone ATP Rankings] points from Wimbledon, I'm trying to stay locked in," Kyrgios explained.

"But in a way, it's good because I'm still putting in some really good performances." Kyrgios got the job done in his second round match but Hubert Hurkacz wasn't that lucky. On Wednesday, Emil Ruusuvuori upset second-seeded Hurkacz 6-4 7-6 (3).

"I just was able to hang in there in the first couple games. He had an early break point, but then I was able to keep that service game and give myself a chance to break him and I was able to use it and then just try to keep my own serve," Ruusuvuori said in his on-court interview.

"I didn't have many chances until the [second-set] tie-break and then I got a look at a couple second serves and [made] a couple deep returns, so that gave me the chance."