Andy Murray had described his expectations of winning his first comeback match as “extremely low”, but although he was duly beaten 2-6, 7-6, 7-5 by Nick Kyrgios at the Fever-Tree Championships here on Tuesday the 31-year-old Scot could take plenty of positives from the experience of competing against one of the world’s most talented players for more than two and a half hours.
Playing his first match for 11 months, Murray showed few signs of the hip injury on which he eventually had surgery in January. Instead there was abundant evidence of his customary fighting spirit, his tactical nous and his outstanding shot-making.
It was, nevertheless, a typically enigmatic display by Kyrgios, who mixed cracking ground strokes and thunderbolt serves with lackadaisical rallies in which he failed to put away winners and occasionally moved as if he was playing a casual doubles in the park.
Was the 23-year-old Australian having physical troubles of his own ? As is so often with Kyrgios, who is one of the modern game’s most unpredictable talents, it was hard to tell.
The world No 21 has had physical issues of his own, the latest of which – an elbow problem – had forced him out of the French Open. However, he loves playing on grass and made an impressive comeback last week in Stuttgart, where he lost to Roger Federer in the semi-finals in a third set tie-break.
It was a very different Murray to the man we had seen limp out of the Wimbledon quarter-finals in his last competitive appearance 342 days ago. Although the Scot was sometimes cautious in his movement, particularly in the early stages, when it mattered he chased balls both out wide and into the net with all his customary vigour.
There was certainly no sign of the pronounced limp that had been evident last summer, though it was difficult to judge how far the Scot was being pushed.
Considering this was his first competitive match for nearly a year, Murray’s game looked in good order. He served well, hitting 16 aces, and proved with the quality of his returns that his eye for the ball is as good as ever. Many of his trademark shots were also on show, ranging from thumping cross-court backhands and assured volleys to delicate drop shots and killer slices.
With five titles won here – no other player in the 134-history of the event has won it as many times – this has been the most productive tournament of the 31-year-old Scot’s career. In 2013 and 2016 he went on to win Wimbledon after his victories here. On this occasion, nevertheless, he was relieved simply to be playing again.
Murray was given a standing ovation when he walked on court to huge cheers just before 4pm on a beautiful summer’s afternoon. There was a full turn-out from his entourage, with his coach Jamie Delgado, fitness trainer Matt Little and physios Shane Annun and Mark Bender all courtside, along with his wife Kim and mother Judy.
Kyrgios had lost all five of his previous meetings with Murray, but has always had a very good relationship with the former world No 1, who has shown sympathy for the Australian in the latter’s clashes with authority.
At the coin toss Kyrgios joked: “Do you know how to do this, Andy?” The answer was immediate as Murray won the opening rally with a forehand winner. The Scot saved a break point in the first game, which he went on to win with an ace.
Murray saved two more break points in the fifth game, the first with a lovely drop shot and the second with a bold attacking forehand, after which he broke serve in unexpected fashion.
Kyrgios, who had not won a match in his three previous appearances at the tournament, served well enough in his first two service games, but in his third he hit four double faults, including two from deuce to hand Murray the break. The Australian was going for huge second serves, the last of which appeared to land at least two feet beyond the service line. At 2-5 he was at it again, serving another double fault on set point.
When Kyrgios walked disconsolately back to his chair you wondered if it was the world No 21 who might be in some sort of physical trouble. For the next few games he seemed ill at ease and gave a series of negative looks and gestures towards his entourage.
Kyrgios looked unhappy even when he broke in the opening game of the second set, but after getting the better of three successive breaks of serve he held the upper hand until Murray broke back for 4-4. Murray went 3-0 down in the tie-break, recovered to 4-4 but then lost three points in a row as Kyrgios took the set with a forehand winner.
The final set followed a more predictable pattern, though it was still all but impossible to gauge Kyrgios’ mental or physical state. At 4-5 Murray saved two match points, the first with a bold foray to the net which induced a Kyrgios forehand error and which prompted the Scot to clench his fist in celebration and encourage the crowd to turn up the volume.
At 5-5 it was Kyrgios’ turn to dig himself out of trouble, saving a break point with his 18thace, and in the next game the Australian finally secured his victory. From 30-15 up Murray put an attempted drop shot into the net, missed a forehand and double-faulted. It was a disappointing end to his afternoon, but this was a day when the performance was much more important than the result.
Novak Djokovic, playing his first match at this tournament since 2010, needed only 65 minutes to beat Australia’s John Millman 6-2, 6-1. He will now face Grigor Dimitrov, who beat Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 6-7, 6-3.
