Andy Murray handed enticing draw as he declares he feels fit ahead of US Open

Kevin Palmer
August 21, 2021

Andy Murray has decided to play another tournament a week before the US Open and he will be up against an old friend in the first round.

Former world No.1 Murray has been drawn to play against Nick Kyrgios in a first-round blockbuster at next week’s Winston-Salem Open.

Murray has won five of his six meetings with Kyrgios, who is a big admirer of the two-time Wimbledon champion and has often saluted him on social media.

Earlier this week in an interview with the ATP, Murray suggested Kyrgios was his favourite player to watch on tour, so long he is engaged in the match, which is not always the case.

“I like watching Kyrgios when he’s into it. When he’s not into it, I don’t enjoy that at all,” Murray said. “But when he’s into it, I really enjoy watching him.”

Meanwhile, Murray has given a positive update on his fitness, after he lost to Hubert Hurkacz in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters are a close two set battle with the Wimbledon semi-finalist from last month,

‘Murray, who withdrew from the singles at the Tokyo Olympics due to a niggling injury, believes he has made progress since his run to the third round at Wimbledon.

“This week was fairly positive. I played much better than at Wimbledon and the grass-court season,” he said.

The former world No 1 added: “If my body doesn’t feel good, that is something that will influence my future, and if, after competing for a number of months, if my tennis is sort of going backwards, that would be another sign for me that things are not how I would like them to be.

“But I don’t see this week as going backwards. My body felt good. The American hard courts are not easy on the body. Physically, I was a little bit tired after some of the longer rallies, but in terms of pain and discomfort, my body was really good.”

Andy Murray