In Andy Murray’s first match of the ATP World Tour Finals, he looked at his best when defeating Spaniard David Ferrer. Yesterday though, another Spaniard – this time in the form of 14-time Grand Slam champion Rafa Nadal – managed to defeat the Scot, who looked completely out of sorts throughout the match.
The first set was an incredibly tight affair, with barely anything to choose between the two players. It was the kind of encounter most expected from a match between one of the game’s all-time greats, and the player about to become world number 2. It was Nadal who managed to edge it though, taking the first set 6-4 in the best of three sets encounter. Perhaps the highlight of the set though was a strange one, as Murray turned barber to trim his hair after the third game.
While the first set was a tight one, the second was all Nadal. Murray never looked like gaining any kind of foothold in the set. The second game saw Nadal break to love and race into a 2-0 lead, and after that Murray only managed to win one more game. Nadal took the set 6-1, and with it the match. It certainly wasn’t a good day for Murray, but his victory over Ferrer means he still has a chance of qualification.
In the other match of the group, David Ferrer took on Stan Wawrinka, with both players looking to register their first win of the group stages – Wawrinka was defeated by Nadal in the opening match, while Ferrer lost to Murray. Like the Murray /Nadal encounter, the first set was a close one, with Wawrinka taking it 7-5, however the Swiss raced to victory in the second, winning 6-2.
But what does this now do to the group? Well, for the two Spaniards – Nadal and Ferrer – it is really simple. Nadal is now through, while Ferrer is certainly out, regardless of what happens in the final round of games. It’s also pretty simple for Murray and Wawrinka, as they play each other next, with the winner advancing to the semi-finals. The Murray/Wawrinka match will begin at 20:00 on Friday.
The other group is slightly more complex though, as all four players could still qualify for the semi-finals. Roger Federer is in the box seat though, while a victory by Djokovic over Tomas Berdych will see him qualify. Nishikori and Berdych can also qualify, but will have to rely on results elsewhere, as well as win their matches.