Wimbledon 2016: Nick Kyrgios warns Andy Murray: ‘He’s one of the best in the world – but he’s beatable’

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Chris Jones4 July 2016

Nick Kyrgios has warned close friend Andy Murray he will “live or die by the sword” when the pair clash in today’s fourth-round match on Centre Court.

Kyrgios, 21, has never beaten Murray in four attempts and believes the World No2 is the “ultimate” player on grass.

However, he was in a bullish mood ahead of the contest as he recalled his victory over Rafael Nadal on Centre Court in 2014 which announced himself on the international stage.

The controversial Australian, who last night apologised for calling his support team “retarded” as he beat Feliciano Lopez on Saturday, said: “I am playing the ultimate player on grass and I am going to live or die by the sword.

“I have the tools to beat Andy and I feel like he is beatable. He’s only human but at the same time he’s a great player.

“He is one of the best in the world and is probably the favourite [to win the title] now Novak [Djokovic] is out. This is probably my best surface and my best chance to beat him. I feel comfortable going out on Centre Court and it is the same dimensions as any court I have played on since I was a little kid. He’s obviously comfortable there and it is like his backyard.

“I will be nervous and excited walking out onto Centre Court but I have won a match there before against Rafa. I can take a lot of confidence from that Rafa win and I know what being in the second week of a Slam is like. I feel at home here at Wimbledon because I played the juniors a lot.

“It has been a tough and exhausting first week. I have played some of the toughest opponents on grass in the tournament so far and I know what to expect against Andy. I am going to have to serve and return big and play on instinct.”

Murray, meanwhile, can draw confidence from his record against Australians, having won all 18 of his matches with players from Down Under. He has lost only one set in his four clashes with Kyrgios, three of which took place last year at Grand Slams.

Kyrgios revealed that Murray has been a constant support during his colourful career so far. He added: “He backs me up a lot and it’s just good to have one of the best players in the world as a good friend like that. I see him at times more than I see my family!

“Our relationship is pretty good and we joke a lot. When he’s in the locker room, it’s just instant banter and we have a lot of fun. Andy’s a very relaxed guy who baits me a lot of the time. He’s always very funny and it helps, and I am just looking forward to going out there.

“As soon as Novak loses, you look at Andy and [Roger] Federer’s eyes light up because they think their chances [of winning the title] have probably doubled. A lot of people in the locker room believe they can win it. I rarely walk into a tournament and don’t think I can win it.”

Murray believes Kyrgios gets a rough ride from the media. He said: “Maybe sometimes he says he doesn’t care about tennis but he does. It’s not like when he goes home he just turns the TV off. He does watch it, he follows it a lot and knows all the players well.

“Nick is good fun. I have never really seen him in a bad mood off the court. He will win grand slams in the future.”

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