Murray Downs Kyrgios, Sets Berrettini Final In Stuttgart

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray reached his first tour-level final on grass since 2016 at the BOSS OPEN Saturday, moving past Australian Nick Kyrgios 7-6(5), 6-2 in Stuttgart.

In a close first set, the Scot saved both break points he faced and raised his intensity on return in the tie-break to move ahead. He then hit his watertight groundstrokes aggressively and consistently in the second set to race to the finish and advance after one hour and 33 minutes.

“It has been a long time since the last final [on grass]. A lot of ups and downs, but I kept going and kept working and finally managed to get to another one,” Murray said in his on-court interview. “I am proud of the effort I have put in.

“I was just a little more solid in the tie-break. 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.”

Murray, who upset World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals, now leads Kyrgios 6-1 in their ATP Head2Head series. The win improved the Brit’s record on grass to 114-23.

The 35-year-old will be aiming to clinch a ninth career title on the surface when he meets Italian Matteo Berrettini in Sunday’s final, in what will be a third meeting between the pair. The last time Murray captured a trophy on grass was in 2016 when he defeated Canadian Milos Raonic in the Wimbledon final.

The Scot is up to No. 47 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings following his victory over Kyrgios, who was aiming to reach his first final since 2019 in Washington. It is the first time Murray has been in the Top 50 since May 2018.

Murray advanced to the championship match in Sydney in January, with his last tour-level title coming in 2019 in Antwerp.