Wimbledon 2016: Nick Kyrgios has the potential to win a Grand Slam – but it’s up to him to do it, says Pat Rafter

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Nick Kyrgios needs to follow the lead of Andy Murray to fulfil his potential as a Grand Slam winner and become one of the leading players on the Tour, according to former Wimbledon finalist Pat Rafter.

Kyrgios makes his second-ever Centre Court appearance at the Championships later today against the world No2, who is now the overwhelming favourite to win the tournament after Novak Djokovic’s shock exit at the hands of Sam Querrey on Saturday.

And Rafter, who was runner-up at Wimbledon in 2000 and 2001, believes the Australian No1 will come off second best until he begins to emulate the world’s top two.

“Nick has the potential to be a Grand Slam winner but that potential and talent only goes so far,” said Rafter. “The top players don’t compromise on giving themselves the best opportunity to win and to be the best players. They work hard and train hard.

“When our boys [the Australian players] recognise that, they’ve got a chance. Nick could do something quite special. Right now, there’s potential which is all you can say. It’s up to them to take the next step.”

Kyrgios has yet to beat Murray with the Scot boasting a 4-0 lead in their head to heads. Three of those defeats have come at Grand Slams — all played in 2015 — with Kyrgios managing to take just one set off him in those clashes.

But ahead of their first Wimbledon meeting, Rafter said Murray would have been anxious about the threat of his fourth-round opponent from the moment the draw was first made.

“Nick’s a guy that can do real damage,” said Rafter. “And you don’t want to see him in your half of the draw. I’ve always said Nick can make the second week here — he’s proven that before. How far can he go? I don’t know.”

Kyrgios is no stranger to giant-killing on Centre Court, two years ago stunning then world No1 Rafael Nadal in four sets of blistering tennis.

At the tournament to date, the 21-year-old has spent nearly two hours more on court than Murray, dropping a set against Feliciano Lopez and Radek Stepanek and two against Dustin Brown. But his serve gave him the edge in those encounters. With a speed around the 130mph mark and a first-serve percentage of 72 per cent, it has proved his most potent weapon which Rafter says needs to be firing to give him a hope against Murray.

Rafter said: “He’s amazing, really. He can play well on all surfaces but grass is probably his best bit. He’s got a really big game, it’s just a matter of the temperament — whether he’s on or off.”

Kyrgios has earned a reputation for being a volatile character.

Ahead of his first-round match against Stepanek, the umpire took the unprecedented move of pre-warning him about his language.

And there have been flashpoints on court here, the player ranting and raving at both the umpires and his box in his three matches. He later described himself as “a pest” towards his team and such an approach effectively cost him a set against Brown, and any sort of repeat is likely to be jumped upon by Murray.

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Rafter has had his own share of spats — private and public — with Kyrgios in his previous role as Australia’s Davis Cup captain. Of that role, he said: “I wouldn’t say I enjoyed it but I learnt a lot. I had some close-up experiences with a lot of guys and it can be hard. We’ve got some big personalities in Australian tennis. It’s good for the sport but it might not necessarily go in favour of us as a nation.”

In that post, Rafter admitted to experiencing huge frustration at his former charge blowing hot and cold but said he was past interfering. “I can’t do any more,” he said. “I’ve said my piece and now I have to sit back and watch it, to get entertained more than anything.”

Despite frustration at Kyrgios’s occasional brash approach — Rafter has called him a punk in the past — the two-time Wimbledon finalist and two-time Grand Slam winner said he had sympathy with the player growing up in the social media generation.

“Unfortunately, that’s the life he’s living and you can’t get away with anything,” said Rafter. “In my day, we got away with a lot of things and I’ve told Nick and the other guys, too. Sadly, that’s the way of the world, so you just have to learn to be a bit more conservative. Everyone is so much more in the spotlight.”

Pat Rafter will be playing Champions Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall from Nov 30 to Dec 4. Tickets are available from £18.50 at championstennis.co.uk/tickets

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