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Nick Kyrgios bares his soul at Wimbledon: ‘Little bit soft’

Australian firebrand Nick Kyrgios revealed his softer side when he spoke in glowing terms about his next opponent, Andy Murray, saying it was “love at first sight” when they first met.

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The second-seeded Scot’s straight sets win over a unsafe opponent maintained his standing, following the shock third round exit of world number one Novak Djokovic, as the bookies’ odds-on favourite to lift the Challenge Cup again on Sunday.

The Aussie, 21 went stride for stride with Murray for much of the opening set.

Australian Open champion and No. 4-seeded Angelique Kerber beat Misaki Doi 6-3, 6-1.

Entering Monday, Kyrgios’ match against his pal Murray was considered one to watch.

The mercurial 15th seed turned on the style to outclass Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez on “People’s Sunday”, knocking off two sets in quick time for a 6-3 6-7 (2) 6-3 6-4 win after bad light stopped the third-round clash the previous evening.

“He brushed me off the court”, Federer recalled, “like I was nothing”.

Murray was motoring towards the quarter finals.

The 2013 champion eased to a 7-5 6-1 6-4 win over Kyrgios, who lost his focus in the second set and did not give his opponent the test that had been expected. “Finally won a set against him in a grand slam”, Kyrgios said.

Gasquet, who reached the semi-finals past year as he did in 2007, could face compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last 16 if he beats American John Isner. No. 9 Marin Cilic, No. 6 Milos Raonic vs.

Radwanska, a finalist at the All England Club in 2012, has struggled at this year’s tournament. I was really comfortable out there the first set. He broke once more in the third, closing out the contest with an ace on his third match point.

The 19th-seeded Cibulkova reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals once before, in 2011.

French 12th seed Tsonga overcame American John Isner 19-17 in the fifth and deciding set of an epic encounter today.

A year after that, Venus revealed she had been diagnosed with an energy-sapping disease, and she hasn’t approached the level of play that carried her to seven major titles, including five at Wimbledon.

Williams’ next opponent will be No. 21 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russian Federation, who reached her first quarterfinal at Wimbledon by beating 27th-seeded CoCo Vandeweghe 6-3, 6-3. When he is up and about, he’s playing his best tennis.

Play began on schedule on the outside courts at 11: 30 a.m., with matches on Centre Court and No. 1 Court set to begin at 1 p.m.

It turns out that strawberry man started off the match sitting next to a blonde woman.

After rain delays forced organizers to schedule matches on the middle Sunday for only the fourth time in history, the tournament is back on track going into the second week.

He has beaten the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Nick Kyrgios of Australia wipes his face during his men’s singles match against Andy Murray of Britain on day eight of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Monday, July 4, 2016.

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The British star is the top seed left in the draw after world number one Novak Djokovic was knocked out by Sam Querrey in a shock result Saturday.

Friends Tyler Nasser and Thomas Shepherd shaking hands after a friendly tennis workout at the junior coaching session