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Andy Murray makes it to second final of 2022 after beating Kyrgios in Stuttgart semis

Britain’s Andy Murray celebrates winning. EPA-EFE/VICKIE FLORES


By Ricky Dimon

Andy Murray won Wimbledon for the second time in 2016. He did not reach another grass-court final throughout the next five years.

That drought ended on Saturday, when Murray took down Nick Kyrgios 7-6(5), 6-2 in the semifinals of the BOSS Open. The 35-year-old Scot survived a tense first set before Kyrgios lost control in the second, giving Murray the victory after one hour and 33 minutes.

“It has been a long time since the last final (on grass),” Murray reflected. “(There have been) a lot of ups and downs, but I kept going and kept working and finally managed to get to another one. I am proud of the effort I have put in.

“I was just a little more solid in the tiebreak. I asked the questions. On these courts, when it is playing quick, the set often comes down to one or two points and I was a little more secure at the end of the first set.”

Nick Kyrgios. EPA-EFE/NEIL HALL EDITORIAL USE ONLY


Kyrgios certainly did have answers to any questions in the second. The 27-year-old Australian started it with a point penalty after incurring code violations for ball abuse and racket abuse toward the end of the first set. He proceeded to double-fault on break point to fall behind 1-0 and then incurred a game penalty for a third code violation resulting from an interaction with the crowd.

From there it was all over. Murray added one more break for some insurance and never came close to dropping his own serve.

The former world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion will meet Matteo Berrettini in Sunday’s final after the Italian defeated Oscar Otte in a pair of tiebreakers. Murray is aiming for his first title since Antwerp in 2019 and he is playing in his second final of 2022 (lost in Sydney to Aslan Karatsev).

Sunday’s other championship match–in ‘s-Hertogenbosch–features soon-to-be world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev and Dutch wild card Tim van Rijthoven.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.