On Monday he reached his ninth consecutive Wimbledon quarter-final, hanging on to Kyrgios’s coat-tails for much of a pulsating first set before the Australian lost focus to concede the second and third sets tamely in a 7-5 6-1 6-4 defeat.
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Murray saw off a potentially unsafe opponent with the minimum of fuss – 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 in one hour, 43 minutes and without even having a break point against him in the entire match. First, Bernard Tomic was beaten 10-8 in the fifth set off-Broadway by little-known Frenchman Lucas Pouille after leading by two-sets-to-one and then a break in the fifth, then Kyrgios was utterly outplayed – and lost both intensity and interest – soon after a critical forehand volley cost him a close first set.
Gasquet said: “I felt it yesterday playing against Ramos at the end of the match”. “I have back problem”, he told reporters after pulling out against Tsonga in the first set.
One of the few players operating without a coach, Kyrgios also reaffirmed he “doesn’t love tennis” and said his commitment to the sport wavered.
“To be honest, I don’t think he’s got a lot of pressure”.
“One week I’m pretty motivated to train and play”, he said.
“When things get tough, I’m just a little bit soft”.
“I think he’s got a bit of time on his side”, said Murray. I feel like I know what to do but it’s hard to actually go out there and execute against such a player like him.
Kyrgios, whose preparations for the match included sitting in the stands on Court 18 watching fellow Aussie Lleyton Hewitt play doubles, showed off his tricks and talent.
Australian firebrand Nick Kyrgios made a surly exit from Wimbledon on Monday, losing in straight sets to Andy Murray in a performance he lambasted as “pathetic”.
Fifteenth seed Kyrgios had been anticipated to provide a stiff test on Monday for world number two Murray, the favourite for the men’s singles following Novak Djokovic’s shock third-round defeat to Sam Querrey. “Just win the tournament, please”. I hope so, definitely.
‘He’s got to look in the mirror if he wants to become a top player and win slams.
“It’s awesome, he backs me up a lot, which is good”, said Kyrgios. “I don’t really know”. I didn’t even know I was playing for that.
“It was a good first set”, mused Kyrgios. I don’t think I gave up a breakpoint.
Kyrgios refocused for the start of the third but Murray was now playing at a ridiculously high level and there was nothing the 15th seed could do to prevent his opponent breaking serve again to lead 2-1 in the third set.
“Every year I play here [the pressure’s] the same. I don’t really know”.
“I feel like I know what to do. I see him at times more than I see my family”.
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This win was Murray’s 50th at the All England Club, as the Scot moves through to the last eight with a meeting with old rival Tsonga, who still has yet to drop a set during this tournament.
