The second-seeded Scot’s straight sets win over a dangerous opponent maintained his standing, following the shock third round exit of world number one Novak Djokovic, as the bookies’ odds-on favourite to lift the Challenge Cup again on Sunday.
Murray, who in 2013 beat Djokovic to became the first British man to win Wimbledon since 1936, has finished runner-up to the Serbian in both of this year’s grand slams in France and Australia.
On Monday he reached his ninth consecutive Wimbledon quarter-final, hanging on to Kyrgios’s coat-tails for much of a pulsating first set before the Australian lost focus to concede the second and third sets tamely in a 7-5 6-1 6-4 defeat.
Murray has not yet dropped a set but neither has Roger Federer, who beat the Scot in last year’s semi-final.
The presence of the Swiss seven-time champion looms large on the other side of the draw, which goes a long way towards explaining why the thought of lifting the trophy again has yet to enter Murray’s head.
