Australian Open 2015: Andy Murray unfazed by the antics of Aussie wild child Nick Kyrgios

(Getty Images)

Australia loves a sportsman with attitude but Nick Kyrgios’s behaviour does not meet with everyone’s approval. The 19-year-old from Canberra, who faces Andy Murray in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open here today, has already been fined a total of $6,500 (about £4,330) for three different offences at the tournament, including racket abuse and audible obscenities.

As the last home player in the competition was beating Andreas Seppi in the fourth round on Sunday night, he turned his attention to the crowd. “Get off your fucking phone!” Kyrgios yelled to one fan. When three spectators attempted to leave before the end, the world No 53 turned round and asked them: “Oi! Where are you going?”

A free spirit, a youngster who does not know how to behave or a man under pressure? If anyone can understand what life might be like for Kyrgios it is Murray, who has learnt over the years to cope with the weight of a country’s expectations at his home Grand Slam event.

Andy Murray faces the Australian in the quarter-final (GETTY IMAGES)

Murray was higher ranked (world No 13) when he was Kyrgios’s age, having already won his first tour title, but the Australian has had the greater success at Grand Slam level. Although, remarkably, Kyrgios has won only one match on the main men’s tour (which does not include the Grand Slam events), he is the first player since Roger Federer to have reached two Grand Slam quarter-finals as a teenager.

As a 19-year old at Wimbledon, Murray beat Andy Roddick, then the world No 5, in the third round but lost to Marcos Baghdatis next time out. He did not reach his first Wimbledon quarter-final until he was 21.

“Everyone’s different,” Murray said yesterday after a practice session on one of Melbourne Park’s outside courts. “When I played at Wimbledon when I was 19 I really enjoyed it. There’s no pressure at that age because you’re not expected to win. After you’ve beaten a top player, someone like Roddick, on a big court it’s great, but it’s when you start to get a little bit older and people are expecting you to reach the quarters, the semis, the final, that things change.

“I would say it’s probably a bit easier to enjoy it when you’re that age, but obviously once you get to the latter stages the pressure builds because you’re only a couple of matches away from winning.”

Does Murray think Kyrgios’s unpredictable on-court behaviour is down to pressure? “I don’t know, to be honest,” the world No 6 said. “From the matches I’ve seen he’s obviously played very good tennis, but he’s also been showing a lot of emotion. He’s broken a bunch of rackets and got a bunch of warnings as well. I don’t know if that’s through stress or nerves or pressure.”

And the racket-smashing? “I have not watched enough of him to know whether it distracts him or whether breaking a racket helps release some tension – and he plays fine the next point – or if it lingers on for a few games,” Murray said.

“I know tomorrow that I will have to play very well. If I play consistently and make it very, very tough for him from the beginning of the match, then I will give myself a good chance of winning. If I start slowly and let him get into the match and build confidence, it will be tough.”

While Kyrgios clearly enjoys playing in front of a supportive home crowd, Murray is one visiting opponent who will not feel intimidated in such an atmosphere. The Scot has won all 10 Grand Slam matches he has contested against home players since losing his first, to Gaël Monfils at the French Open in 2006, when the Scot was suffering with a back problem.

“I like playing in front of a big crowd,” Murray said. “I enjoy playing on the big courts and there is always a very good atmosphere when you play against [home players].

“I also have a very good record in the Davis Cup, home and away. I enjoy it, whether it is a home crowd that is right behind you or a crowd that is completely against you. When there is an atmosphere, it does give you a little bit of extra focus, concentration. I have played well in the past in those situations.”