Andy Murray gives update on extent of ankle injury picked up in second round win
IT NEVER gets any easier for Andy Murray at the Australian Open.
No sooner had he rediscovered something approaching his A-game to dispatch Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-0, 6-2, than he rolled his ankle in the third set and had his team and his followers sitting on the edge of their seats worrying whether he had done himself any real damage.
Having thrashed the 19-year-old Russian in the second set, he seemed to be cruising when he caught his toe on the court, ricked his right ankle and fell over backwards with a wince. Even so, he was able to get up, get back to work and break the Rublev serve yet again. All seemed to be well, if a bit sore.
“I don’t know how bad it is,” said Murray. “Just normally if it’s something like severe, a serious ankle injury, you can’t put weight on your foot.
“But it just a little bit stiff just now. It’s okay. I don’t think I’ve done too much damage. But I was moving fine towards the end of the match.”
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Andy Murray doesn't think he has done too much damage
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Andy Murray will face Sam Querrey in the third round who shocked Novak Djokovic last year
Murray was doing a lot of things “fine” throughout the match. The nerves that hampered him in the opening round had gone, his serve was working well and once he had sized up his young opponent in the opening few games, he got to work.
“I did pretty good tonight,” he said. “It was better than the first match. I was hitting the ball a bit cleaner. I was hitting through the court more. More winners. I was able to get myself up to net more. I served way better, too. Most things were better tonight. But I still think I can improve.”
Now in the third round he faces Sam Querrey, the big-serving American who shocked Novak Djokovic in the third round at Wimbledon last summer.
Murray has won six of their seven previous encounters and with one of the best return games in the business, he relishes the challenge of the power players.
“He’s got a big serve and takes a lot of chances with his forehand so it’ll be a tricky one,” said Murray. “Obviously he had a big win a couple slams ago against Novak. I’m aware of that and I’ll be ready.”
Nick Kyrgios, Australia’s gifted but troubled hope, thought he was ready for the challenge of Andreas Seppi from Italy and at two sets up yesterday, he appeared to be in total control. But then, as only he can, he had a mental meltdown, barely tried in the fourth set and lost 1-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2, 10-8.
He was not helped by a knee injury caused by playing basketball in the off-season rather than training properly.
The crowd, desperate for some homegrown success, lost patience with the world No.13 and booed him off the court. Unsurprisingly, Kyrgios admitted that he needed to work harder.
“I’ve got to start taking it more seriously,” he said. “My body’s not in good enough shape. You live and you learn.”
Unfortunately for Kyrgios, he never seems to learn.
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