SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Murray-slayer Thompson wants more scalps

Rugby league tragic Jordan Thompson is hoping he can make up for NSW's loss to Queensland by beating Sam Querrey at Queen's Club on Thursday.

3 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

NSW's State of Origin loss to Queensland may have darkened Jordan Thompson's mood, but the man who beat Andy Murray hopes he can produce a better showing than the Blues on Thursday

The self-confessed Wests Tigers tragic, whose bedroom wall as a child was adorned with pictures of Brett Hodgson and Benji Marshall has seen his world turned upside after a 'pretty crazy' 24 hours.

Beaten in qualifying by veteran Frenchman Jeremy Chardy on Sunday, Thompson hung around the west London club hoping he may get a lucky loser spot and then struck gold at Tuesday lunchtime.

Five hours later the unassuming 23-year-old from Cherrybrook, on Sydney's north shore, found himself in demand by the world's media after inflicting a shock win over world No.1 Andy Murray.

It was the first time in 13 matches Murray, who claimed his fifth Queen's title and second Wimbledon crown last year, had lost on grass and also the first time he had even been beaten by an Australian player.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

The world No.90 also became the first player since Roger Federer in 2015 to not have his serve broken by the game's best returner.

Not being blessed with a huge serve, Thompson relies on a solid all round game to make life difficult for opponents as he has shown in the past in the Davis Cup, where he boasts an unbeaten singles record.

However, he acknowledged that he needs to back up on the best win of his career against giant American Sam Querrey, the 2010 winner of this tournament, on Thursday.

"That's the difference between the top players and guys that are battling to reach the top-10, the ability to win consistently." Thompson told AAP.

"I've had to turn off the notifications on my phone because of all the positive messages from back home as I need to stay focused ... and prove that beating Andy wasn't just a one-off.

"I haven't got the bigger body frame like a (Thanasi) Kokkinakis. He has a big game. I don't have that. I've just got to play to my game."

After a battery of media interviews following his win over Murray, Thompson spent Wednesday morning watching NSW squander a 16-6 lead allowing Queensland to level the State of Origin series in Sydney.

"I don't know how we lost that, I watched it on my phone," he said.

"It's too hard to even talk about. I love my footy and the Tigers - Brett Hodgson was my hero as a kid.

"It would have been an amazing 24 hours had we (NSW) won the game but if I can win tomorrow (Thursday) it will make up for it.".


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world