Australia’s Nick Kyrgios serves to Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena during their round 32 match at the Fever Tree Championship at Queen’s Club in London, Britain, 20 June 2019. EPA-EFE/WILL OLIVER
By Ricky Dimon
The sun finally came out at the Fever-Tree Championships and the rain stayed away, allowing for a full slate of action on Friday.
A packed day got the singles event back on schedule, as several competitors did double duty. Felix Auger-Aliassime won twice, beating Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-4 before outlasting Nick Kyrgios 7-5 in the third Stefanos Tsitsipas won part of one match and all of another, finishing off Kyle Edmund in straight sets and then surviving Jeremy Chardy in a third-set tiebreaker.
Plenty of drama was to be had in those second-round matches, as not a single break of serve took place in the Auger-Aliassime vs. Kyrgios contest until the final game with the Australian serving at 5-6 in the decider. In Tsitsipas vs. Chardy, the Frenchman actually served for the match in the second set but could not seal the deal.
But what the fans really came to see on Thursday was the return of Andy Murray. Playing for the first time since post-Australian Open hip surgery, Murray teamed up with Feliciano Lopez to oust No. 1 seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 7-6(5), 6-3.
“I learned quite a bit tonight,” the former world No. 1 admitted. “Like, I sort of expected to be the worst player on the court tonight and to not feel particularly good on the court. I was prepared to feel that way, which was probably the case in the first set. But then I think I started to play better in the second and started to serve a bit better, see the returns a little bit better and things.
“I have zero discomfort in my hip. Like, after the match…nothing. And if I had done this last year, I’d be here aching, throbbing, and feel bad the next day.
So I’ll just keep pushing and see how it goes. But I feel optimistic about the future. I don’t know how long it will take to get to that level, but hopefully not too long.”
As for the immediate future at Queen’s Club, it is bright in every way–literally. No more rain is expected the rest of the week, Murray and Lopez are playing again on Friday (and every day thereafter if they continue to win), and a blockbuster battle between Tsitsipas and Auger-Aliassime is also in the cards.