Kyrgios Warns Murray, Tsonga Wins Epic
Locker Room
July 3, 2016
Nick Kyrgios earned the right to play Andy Murray on Manic Monday with a 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-3, 6-4 victory over Feliciano Lopez on Court 1.
The unpredictable Australian was given a time violation on match point, almost as though his bad-boy reputation had preceded him.
He took his latest brush with officialdom in his stride and was soon celebrating his victory anyway.
‘My attitude was great today and I’m very happy with the way I played,’ professed Kyrgios. Then he warned: ‘I definitely have the tools to beat Murray but he is probably the favourite now Djokovic is out.’
The biggest battle took place on Court 2, where Jo -Wilfried Tsonga took four hours and 24 minutes to beat John Isner, including a marathon 19-17 win in the fifth set.
No wonder Tsonga jumped for joy after anticipating Isner’s desperate pass down the line and putting away a volley to close out the match.
He will play Richard Gasquet on Monday, two of four Frenchmen through to the last sixteen, the most since 1928.
Tomas Berdych also won through against Alexander Zverev, having revelled it the unusual atomosphere on the most famous court of them all to seal a 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 victory.
Berdych, who will play fellow Czech Jiri Vesily next, said: ‘Playing on Sunday on Centre Court is very special. It’s just the fourth time it’s happened.’
He was impressed by his opponent too. ‘He is a future Grand Slam winner as well.’
Someone who knows all about winning Grand Slams, Serena Williams, had an easy afternoon against Annika Beck on Centre Court. She won 6-3, 6-0 and will play Svetlana Kuznetsova next.
But it may be Dominika Cibulokova who is shaping up to give Williams most trouble further down the line. The Eastbourne winner, from Slovakia, is in dangerous form, judging by the way she disposed of Eugenie Bouchard on Saturday.