Andy Murray Doesn’t Think Nick Kyrgios Plays High Risk Tennis

It was one of the most intriguing matches of the first round, and while it didn’t have many thrills, Andy Murray’s match against Nick Kyrgios did provide some entertainment, especially from the controversial Australian.

But despite questionable shot selection, ill-attempted tweeners and lackadaisical attitude, Murray doesn’t take issue with Kyrgios’s playing style.

“I actually don’t think that he plays that high risk tennis to be honest,” Murray said. “I think it’s more that the ups and downs. Like when he’s on, he doesn’t play high-risk tennis. I mean, he hits the ball, you know, with a lot of spin on his forehand, a lot of safety. And his backhand is a really good shot. I mean, he hits it flat. The two strokes are completely different. One’s very sort of spinny and the other one is totally flat.

“He has an excellent serve, one of the better serves on the tour. Just sort of 5- or 10-minute periods in the match, it happens a little bit too often, where he has dips, misses a few serves, like gets distracted or loses concentration. That’s where I capitalized tonight I think.”

Said Kyrgios, “I’ve always been an emotional person on the court. And, yeah, I like going for shots that aren’t high percentage. I just got a really good self-confidence. I think obviously I’ve had some really big wins. I don’t think I’d be able to have those wins if I didn’t have that sort of confidence by me.”

Murray, who won his first Grand Slam at the US Open in 2012, meets Adrian Mannarino tomorrow in the second round.