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Murray volleys during the match with Nick Kyrgios.
Andy Murray volleys during his match with Nick Kyrgios. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/Guardian
Andy Murray volleys during his match with Nick Kyrgios. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/Guardian

Andy Murray loses on return after Nick Kyrgios comeback at Queen’s Club

This article is more than 5 years old
Australian defeats former world No 1 2-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5
Scot raced into first-set lead but failed to maintain pace

Andy Murray, the patron saint of lost causes, celebrated 342 days away from tennis by pushing the mercurial Nick Kyrgios all the way over three thrilling sets at Queen’s Club, but he remains cautious still about continuing his comeback at Wimbledon. He still does not know if he can get through a best-of-five match and might test himself at Eastbourne next week – or maybe not.

“If I wake up and I really don’t feel good, then that’s not a great sign for best-of-five tennis,” he said. “If I pull up and feel OK, then that’s a good sign. At the end of the match I was certainly tired but it wasn’t like I was completely off my feet.”

And Wimbledon?

“I won’t rule anything out. I won’t rule out playing Eastbourne and not playing Wimbledon. I wouldn’t rule out not playing a tournament next week and trying to get matches like in an exhibition tournament, as well, to get ready for Wimbledon.”

Whatever he decides, not a soul in tennis – including the man himself – expected him to force Kyrgios to rise from his torpor in the first set and reach to the limits of his talent only three days after coming within a few points of beating the world No 1 Roger Federer in the semi-finals on the grass of Stuttgart.

It was an extraordinary performance by Murray, another odd one by Kyrgios – and not just because the Scot was coming back a month after his 31st birthday. On form and fitness this should have been a stroll for the 23-year-old Australian, ranked 21 in the world, against an opponent who only five months ago was lying on an operating table in Melbourne hoping his long-time confidant, Dr John O’Donnell, had successfully scraped clean the detritus gathered around the ball-joint of his left hip.

He had – but the anxiety lingered until precisely 4pm on Tuesday, when, in the first round of the Fever-Tree Championships, he returned to the day job. Playing in comforting sunshine on the Centre Court in front of nearly 10,000 enraptured fans – as well as probably millions watching on TV – the most stubborn Scot since Rob Roy ignored all internal and external pressure before Kyrgios hung on to win 2-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5 in two hours and 39 minutes.

Beforehand Murray said: “I have zero expectations.” Afterwards, happy to have defied predictions of a wipeout, he gave his conqueror and friend a hug at the net, relieved and happy to have come through his first public examination since Sam Querrey put him out of the quarter-finals at Wimbledon last summer.

There was much for Murray to be satisfied with. His court management and instincts were excellent. Until tiredness took hold the ball left his racket with a pleasing thump and his movement was more spritely than anyone had suspected. If there was a hint of the limp, it was one only a surgeon could detect.

He took a while to trust his body in measured rather than frantic runs for wide balls. But he grew in confidence against an instinctive shot-maker who is always keen to keep points short. It took Murray five minutes to thrash the first of 16 aces, and 35 minutes before he allowed himself a “Come on!” and a fist pump, to celebrate a break for 4-2. Kyrgios’s spirit wilted. Murray’s rose – lifted again when a double-fault handed him the first set in 41 minutes.

The second set was tight all the way to the tie-break, where Kyrgios’s huge serve got him over the line. Yet, after 11 months away, Murray resisted the ennui that was slowly enveloping the Australian.

Nick Kyrgios eyes the ball as he lines up a backhand return to Andy Murray. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/Guardian

Kyrgios said later: “It was a very awkward match for me because I was thinking the guy hadn’t played a match in a year, and I was getting smoked in the first set. I was, like, this is not going to be a good look if I lose.

“It wasn’t anywhere near his highest level but I wasn’t expecting anything less. I knew he was going to compete. His serve rhythm will take time to come back. I thought he played OK. Maybe he got a bit nervous at times. He would have never doubled on match point when I played him years ago. But that was his first match back. He returns unbelievable. His backhand is money. Everything is the same, really. He’s just got to get matches under his belt.”

Even as Kyrgios began to control nearly every exchange in the closing stages – on his own serve and his opponent’s – Murray (who is languishing outside the top 150 for the first time since August, 2005) stayed in the fight.

He saved two match points in the 10th game, peppering Kyrgios’s forehand into submission. Kyrgios took his aces tally to 18 with some crazy serving, saved a break point and held for 6-5. A forehand sailed long to give Kyrgios a third match point – and this time Murray brought the most compelling drama to a conclusion with a double fault, a strangely anti-climactic denouement. As Kyrgios said, it is great to have him back.

Edmund cruises while Evans falters at the last

Kyle Edmund celebrates beating Ryan Harrison. Photograph: Neil Hall/EPA

Kyle Edmund gave fans upset by Murray’s earlier defeat something to cheer as he beat Ryan Harrison, 7-6 (4), 6-4 at Queen’s Club.

Edmund was on court after Murray and was broken early on by his American opponent but hit back immediately to then take the first set to a tie-break. The British No 1 clinched the match with a break of serve and will now face Murray’s conqueror Kyrgios in the second round.

Dan Evans was left disappointed after he snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in his first ATP Tour level match since his drugs ban. The Briton served for the match against Adrian Mannarino but lost 6-4, 0-6, 7-5. He was on the verge of victory at 5-3 in the deciding set, but the Frenchman reeled off four successive games to snatch the win.

Novak Djokovic bounced back from his French Open failure with a straight-sets defeat of the Australian John Millman.

The former world No 1, who lost in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, won 6-2, 6-1. Millman raced to a 40-0 lead in his opening service game but that was as good as it got for the 29-year-old. Djokovic got the first service break in the fifth game to go 3-2 ahead before taking another two games later.

The second set progressed in much the same fashion, Djokovic going up a break with the opening game before a marathon fifth also went the way of the Serb, giving him a 4-1 lead. “It was a good match,” Djokovic said. “I can’t really talk about too many negatives. The focus was there, right intensity every shot. Every shot was working beautifully.”

The 12-times grand slam champion credited a week hiking “with no kids” for his return to form. “I was hiking with my wife for five days, if you really want to know,” Djokovic said. “It was a wonderful time after two years with not having a break without kids. We were far away from any tennis court and it was the best way to clear the mind and also just have a possibility to slow down.”

Djokovic will next face Grigor Dimitrov, who survived a tough workout against Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur, who slid under the net mid-rally after charging down a drop shot. The 27-year‑old Dimitrov was edged out in a tie-break but eventually the Bulgarian prevailed 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3.

Milos Raonic beat the Indian qualifier Yuki Bhambri. The 2016 runner-up at Queen’s Club was leading 6-1, 3-1 when Bhambri retired.

Jérémy Chardy, Feliciano López, Julien Benneteau and Leonardo Mayer, who upset the South African third seed Kevin Anderson, also won.

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