Murray beats local hope Kyrgios in 3 sets at Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Andy Murray ensured there would be no five-set comeback for local hope Nick Kyrgios on Tuesday night, beating the 19-year-old Australian 6-3 7-6 (5), 6-3 in a quarterfinal match at the Australian Open.
Kyrgios came back from two sets down and saved a match point in the fourth round Sunday before beating Italian Andreas Seppi, the player who had eliminated Roger Federer.
But on Tuesday at Rod Laver Arena, the excitable Kyrgios was undone by the sixth-seeded Murray's steady all-court game and his own string of unforced errors, silencing the parochial crowd.
The 19-year-old Kyrgios, who walked onto the court with his headphones on and gave two thumbs-up to the crowd, was at his crowd-pleasing best. After hitting a backhanded drop shot at the net for winner in the second set, he spread out his arms for applause, and in the third set, he hit a between-the-legs shot that Murray easily returned.
"It was a tricky match," Murray said. "I tried to start as quick as possible because I know how dangerous Nick is. He's a huge hitter of the ball, so I tried to keep it out of his strike zone as much as possible. Thankfully it worked."
Murray knows what it's like to feel the burden of a country's expectations. So he has some advice for Australian tennis fans.
After beating Kyrgios, Murray delivered an impromptu and eloquent message on what it's like to be the hyped young athlete in the intense glare of a national spotlight.
"The first thing I would say is try not to put too much pressure on him," Murray said, when asked by on-court interviewer Jim Courier to explain what it was like for him. "I also think that he needs to be allowed to mature and develop."
"He's going to make some mistakes obviously, he's young," Murray said to the 15,000 fans packed into Rod Laver Arena, most of whom had been cheering for Kyrgios. The heavily hyped match was front-page news in the country that has not had an Australian male champion at its own Grand Slam since 1976.
Murray, who became the first British man in 77 years to win Wimbledon in July 2013, went on.
"Growing up in the spotlight isn't easy, and he's doing a great job so far, and he's going to continue to learn and keep getting better," Murray said to a standing ovation.
Kyrgios, a flashy showman whose bravado has been criticized by some, made a name for himself by beating Rafael Nadal in last year's fourth round at Wimbledon and advancing to the final eight. He is considered one of the rising stars in men's tennis.
"He's incredibly talented," Murray said. "To make two quarterfinals in Slams as a teenager is very rare, so he's done great and he'll continue to get better."
Murray, who is seeking his third Grand Slam title and faces No. 7 Thomas Berdych in the semifinals, wrapped up his message by calling it "a privilege" to have played an Australian.
Murray, who didn't face his first break point until the seventh game of the final set, will next play Tomas Berdych, who upset Nadal in straight sets earlier Tuesday.
