MURRAY READY TO ROAR
He takes on Kyrgios as comeback begins
Nobody, not even Andy Murray, knows quite what they are going to get from the man facing him on his comeback today, Nick Kyrgios.
The two of them are quite close, but it was assumed that the mercurial Australian would pledge to show no mercy when asked about this afternoon’s much-anticipated first-round clash in the Fever-Tree Championships.
Kyrgios was, however, disarming in his analysis. ‘I don’t know if it’s business only and ruthless. I don’t know if I ever have that mentality,’ he said. ‘I’m going to go out there and play like I always play. I want to win, don’t get me wrong, but I’m not going to not have fun or not enjoy myself at the same time.’
If last week in Stuttgart is anything to go by — where he so nearly beat Roger Federer in the semifinal — there will be a smattering of between-the-legs shots mixed in with lightning serves from his extraordinarily fast arm.
‘I have always been like that. I have always just played on instinct since I was young. I don’t do it just to, like, crowd-please or something. I do it because it feels like what I want to do out there.’
It can be taken as read that Murray will be treating the match very seriously indeed as he attempts to launch what will likely be the final phase of his career.
In 2005 he announced himself with a first main ATP Tour victory here, over a Spaniard named Santiago Ventura. Today, 13 years on and 342 days after he last played a proper match, he will confront not just a very different opponent but also the fears over the state of his hip.
This version of Murray is ranked 156 in the world and, even in an ideal scenario, it may be many months before he gets back to somewhere near his best.
A big motivation for the 31-yearold Scot is to play on long enough for his two daughters to be able to see him perform at an age when they can properly remember him. For now he would surely settle for respectable showings between now and the end of Wimbledon.
Kyrgios was on a court next door yesterday as Murray practised with seven-foot tall Reilly opelka. Kyrgios’s diagnosis was a simple one: ‘I watched a little of him today, he looked fine.’
A free spirit whose controversial past has included bouts of tanking and sledging, the Australian is also a rare talent who made his run in Stuttgart straight after having two months out with elbow problems.
‘I was in complete control against Roger in that third-set tiebreak at one stage. I’m feeling confident, I’m feeling good, my level is still there,’ said Kyrgios.
It was after the match that he was told who he had drawn at Queen’s: ‘I just smiled, I’m excited. He (Murray) is one of my better mates on tour. It’s good to see him back. I think it’s been pretty s****y without him. To see him healthy is obviously the main thing. I think he’s awesome for the sport.’
Kyrgios has been careful not to request a running commentary from his friend on how the hip has been recovering since surgery on January 8. ‘The last thing he wants is me blowing up his phone.’
The tournament opened yesterday with defeats for lesserheralded brits Cam Norrie and Jay Clarke, both of whom looked overmatched against high class opposition in Stan Wawrinka and Sam Querrey respectively.
Today’s bumper order of play sees Novak djokovic in action as well as british No 1 Kyle Edmund against American Ryan Harrison and dan Evans against French world No 26 Adrian Mannarino. LIVE on BBC 2 from 1pm. Murray v Kyrgios approx 3pm.