MURRAY SURE TO BE READY IN THE NICK OF TIME
ANDY MURRAY believes he will be fully able to return to competition, once the Covid-19 crisis has abated and the tennis tours resume.
An optimistic take on his fitness was one of the aspects to emerge from a chaotic Instagram chat with a distinctly worse-for-wear Nick Kyrgios.
It was past midnight at the Australian’s Canberra home when the exchange began and it appeared that his estimate of having drunk six glasses of wine may have been on the low side.
In the most coherent part of their conversation — a surreal event, during which they were advised by Kevin Pietersen to shut down — Kyrgios asked the Scot how he was progressing.
Murray, who turned 33 on Friday and has returned to training, replied: ‘I feel pretty good. I was doing well before the injury at the Davis Cup. When things get back to normal I think I will be all right.’
Otherwise Kyrgios was on outrageous form, to the slight bemusement of his friend, who wore the look of the only sober man at a raucous party.
‘My knowledge and interest in red wine has gone incredibly up during this quarantine,’ said Kyrgios, who explained that he is now allowed to congregate with a maximum 10 people in a private space.
The Australian, slurping a glass of Shiraz, told Murray that he was one of the few people in tennis who he misses and how highly he rates him as a player.
‘I think you should have one of the best careers ever. I said that about you many times,’ declared the world No40. ‘I think you are better than (Novak) Djokovic. Djokovic was playing dodgeball on my serve and you were slapping it for a winner. He was trying to dodge it, you were on it like a light.’
Murray begged to differ, responding drily: ‘The results would suggest otherwise.’
Describing the Scot as a ‘living legend’, Kyrgios suggested they should play doubles together.
‘Only if you promise to behave, you said you were going to,’ replied Murray.
The twice Wimbledon champion did manage to get a question in, about why Kyrgios is so motivated whenever he plays in the Laver Cup for Team World versus Europe.
‘Because it’s fun, they are my best buds,’ replied the Australian.
Kyrgios added that some European players: ‘Don’t give one “F” about each other. Which p **** s me off. Let’s be honest, (Stefanos) Tsitsipas and (Alexander) Zverev hate each other.’
The curious encounter, which you would think Murray is unlikely to repeat, ended with Kyrgios reaffirming: ‘You are definitely better than Djokovic, that’s for sure.’