Good pals Andy Murray and Nick Kyrgios will meet in the first day of main-draw action in Winston-Salem on Sunday afternoon.
Andy Murray and Nick Kyrgios are probably the two biggest names in the Winston-Salem field. It’s bad luck for the event that they run into each other in the first round. Neither player is seeded, so they were at the mercy of the draw.
Due to a slow comeback from hip replacement surgery, Murray is ranked 105th in the world. Kyrgios, owing to time taken because of the COVID-19 pandemic and general poor form, comes in at No. 1.
Murray and Kyrgios have a long-standing friendship. The two men are legitimately fond of each other, as evidenced in this Instagram Live video:
Of course, they are also no strangers to each other on the court. They played their first match way back in 2014 and their most recent in 2018 at the Queen’s Club. Murray has won all but that most recent one. The Scot’s return game, one of the best in the business, seems to go a long way in neutralizing the Kyrgios serve. The head-to-head is a lopsided 6-1 in Murray’s favor.
While Murray is still not 100 percent, Kyrgios is simply not playing well. The Aussie has won a single match in three tournaments since Wimbledon, and seems as unmotivated as ever. This is a winnable match for Murray.
Cheryl pick: Murray in 2
Ricky pick: Murray in 3
WWW?
In what universe is Andy ever going to be 100%?
He can probably beat Nick, who seems to be fading too, but as soon as he meets someone young, strong and healthy…KERPOW!
This is difficult to get a read on.
Kyrgios lost to the eventual finalist in Washington and Toronto.
The H2H on hard courts is compelling in favour of Murray, however.
Tough match from a betting perspective.
Kyrgios has withdrawn.