Second seed Andy Murray brushed aside Australia’s Nick Kyrgios to register his 50th Wimbledon match win on Monday and reach his ninth straight quarter-final at the event.
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The Australian 15th seed won 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 6-4 on Court One in a match that was tied at one set all when bad light stopped play yesterday.
In a post-match interview after the 21-year-old was easily beaten by Andy Murray at Wimbledon he shockingly revealed that he prepared for the encounter by playing video games.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Murray in the first round of the Australian Open eight years ago, but since then the Scot has won 26 matches in a row against Frenchmen in Grand Slam competition.
“I don’t love this sport”.
The Scot knows just how that feels.
Murray and Kyrgios have been in the habit of taking out all their frustrations on the figures in their corners during matches.
Nick Kyrgios admits he’s torn between the freedom of flying solo and the need for direction after owning up to being too soft to challenge for grand slam glory.
Kyrgios gave an honest “no” when asked if he was applying himself with all his heart to become the best tennis professional he can be. He mixed up the pace, using a lot of slice then amping up his groundstrokes.
Murray’s weakness here could be the lure of dreaming about the prize that could await him at Wimbledon.
The first set was the only time Kyrgios looked like threatening Murray, with his booming serve helping him to take it to 5-5.
Even when he faced a beak point leading 4-3 in the fourth he sent down an audacious second serve ace at 122mph.
And although Kyrgios saved two, he netted a volley on the third, giving Murray the opener.
“It’s about finding the right people to help you with different things”, Murray said during his new conference.
He was broken again in the next game and Murray swiftly clinched the set. He’s a talented player who also happens to have every single tool at his disposal to achieve it. He already has more enough money in the bank to fund a sweet flat in London, and he plays under one of the most functional and helpful federations in tennis.
Kyrgios required a medical timeout for a nose bleed during the first set, but that will be the least of his concerns.
“I’ve had some of my biggest wins ever on Centre Court – but some of my toughest losses as well”.
There was no doubt he was trying, and he hit a ball out of the court attempting to return a Murray lob.
“A lot of people in the locker room now believe they can win it. If the stars align and they’re playing well, there’s a lot of people that can go get it”.
“I hope (Murray wins).I hope so, definitely”.
“You can learn from the matches you’ve played against him”.
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“I see him at times more than I see my family, so it’s good to have a friend like him”. But it’s hard to actually go out there and execute against such a player like him obviously.
