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Murray takes down Kyrgios in 4 sets in US Open 1st round

Jerry Lai / USA TODAY Sports

In a blockbuster first-round matchup at the US Open on Tuesday night, Andy Murray was steady, and Nick Kyrgios was not.

That, to put it simply, was the difference, as Murray emerged from the entertaining and mystifying bout a 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 winner in 2 hours and 43 minutes.

All told, Kyrgios came exactly as advertised. He hit with flash and gusto and terrifying raw power; he made innumerable head-scratching decisions; he hit one unnecessary tweener that led directly to a scorching forehand winner, and another that directly cost him a crucial point. His energy and engagement seemed to wax and wane from one point to the next; he muttered, mumbled, and cursed, alternately defiant and resigned, and then he hit the changeover chair and pretended to sleep.

Bouts of maddening behavior, interrupted by moments of pure, giddy inspiration.

Nick Kyrgios at his best. PEAK shots.

Murray didn't have his best stuff - he was bailed out in part by his defense and in part by an uncharacteristic 18 aces - and when Kyrgios was locked in, he gave the world No. 3 some issues, particularly with his ability to dramatically alter pace with deft flicks of the wrist. But those moments were too few and far between for Kyrgios.

Most often, his flagging attention and poor court positioning left him vulnerable, and gave Murray angles to pass. Kyrgios approached the net 30 times, but won just 13 of those points.

Murray may not have been in top form, but he was smart and measured, picking his spots and often allowing Kyrgios to beat himself. He suffered a minor meltdown at the end of the third, getting broken at love to drop his first-ever set to Kyrgios (he'd won the first 10), but he rebounded to close things out with his cleanest set of the match.

"I managed to get the momentum straight back in the fourth," Murray said after the match. "He's unpredictable. He can play all of the shots. He's a fantastic athlete."

As WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen aptly noted, the matchup offers a study in contrasts - of Kyrgios, who makes the mundane look spectacular, and Murray, who makes the spectacular look mundane.

Mundane won on this day. Murray is off to the second round at the US Open for the 11th consecutive year.

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