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Murray On The Verge

  • Posted: Nov 29, 2015

Murray On The Verge

Brit ahead in critical fourth rubber

Andy Murray is about to bring the Davis Cup back to Great Britain. The World No. 2 is leading Belgium’s David Goffin 6-3, 7-5 in the fourth rubber of the Davis Cup Final.

A Murray win would put the tie out of reach, 3-1, and give the visitors their first team title since 1936, when Fred Perry led the way against Australia on the grass of Wimbledon. Belgium and Great Britain last met at this stage in 1904, when the Brits swept the tie 5-0.

If Goffin can rally, then the fifth and deciding rubber will be contested later today.

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ATP Challenger Tour Finals 2015 Top Hot Shots

  • Posted: Nov 29, 2015

ATP Challenger Tour Finals 2015 Top Hot Shots

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Cervantes Sets All-Spanish Final

  • Posted: Nov 29, 2015

Cervantes Sets All-Spanish Final

Inigo Cervantes to face Daniel Munoz-de la Nava in Sao Paulo

Inigo Cervantes will look to clinch the third 50-win season in Challenger history when he faces countryman Daniel Munoz-de la Nava in Sunday’s final at the ATP Challenger Tour Finals.

Cervantes beat home hope and eighth seed Guilherme Clezar 6-3, 7-6(9) to book a spot in his sixth final of the year. The Spaniard, who is projected to rise to at least a career-high Top 85 position in the Emirates ATP Rankings, fired 17 aces and saved both break points faced during the one-hour and 47-minute affair in Sao Paulo. He remains on track to wrap up the first undefeated campaign in the five-year history of the Challenger year-end championships.

“There was only one break during the match,” said Cervantes. “Then a very close tie-break. Clezar is a very dangerous player here. Not only because we’re in Brazil, but also because it’s indoors and fast conditions. His serve is pretty strong so I’m glad that I won the match.”

MOST WINS IN A SEASON

Player

Year

Match Wins

Carlos Berlocq

2010

57

Boris Pashanski

2005 51

Inigo Cervantes

2015 49

Yen Hsun Lu

2006 49

The all-Spanish final clash will be the second of the week between the two compatriots. If the title match is as close as their thrilling round robin encounter in Group A, won by Cervantes 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-5, fans will be in for a treat. It was Cervantes’ second three-set win of the year in the FedEx ATP Head2Head, after prevailing in qualifying of the ATP World Tour 500 event in Hamburg.

“It’s been only a few days since our last match and it was tough, almost three hours,” added Cervantes. “It will be difficult, I’m sure, but we know each other really well and if I play like today, I have a good shot for the title.

“Maybe physically he’s a bit more fresh than me. He had a day of rest and I played almost two hours. But I’ll face this victory in a positive way. It helps me mentally so I can be prepared and without any issues tomorrow.”

Munoz-de la Nava had already sewn up a berth in the final following second seed Guido Pella‘s injury withdrawal prior to Saturday’s semi-finals. Pella suffered a torn adductor muscle in his round robin finale in Group B against Marco Cecchinato on Friday. Madrid native Munoz-de la Nava is 46-17 this year.

Read Munoz de la Nava feature

Cervantes is 3-2 in Challenger finals this year, seeking his sixth title overall. He lifted trophies in Ostrava, Vicenza and Marburg. Munoz-de la Nava, meanwhile, is 3-3 in title matches in 2015 and will be eyeing a fourth crown overall. He won titles in Napoli, Moscow and Meknes this year.

“I leave with my head up high,” Clezar said. “I had a good tournament. The two matches I lost were more about the opponents’ merits than me playing bad.”

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Rivalries Of 2015: Djokovic vs. Murray

  • Posted: Nov 29, 2015

Rivalries Of 2015: Djokovic vs. Murray

ATP World Tour Season In Review: Best Rivalries

Continuing our Season In Review Series, ATPWorldTour.com revisits the fiercest rivalries of 2015. Today we feature Novak Djokovic vs. Andy Murray:

It’s a rivalry that seems to have been hatched at birth. Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were born within a week of each other in May 1987. They attended the same training camp as juniors. And the on-court reunions keep coming on the ATP World Tour, where they have faced off on no less than 30 occasions. They would stand on opposite sides of the net seven times alone in 2015, always in pressure-filled situations.

“There is only week difference between us,” said Djokovic. “Very similar game and very similar role in professional tennis. So I think that’s what makes it very special.

“He has a winning mindset,” added Djokovic of Murray. “He’s a great fighter, great competitor and somebody that commits to this sport. You can see that on a daily basis. He has a great team of people around him. He puts a lot of hours in the practice, gym and so forth. It pays off. I know him for a long time, so it’s great we are able to challenge each other.”

Murray would push Djokovic to deciding sets in Melbourne, Miami and Roland Garros, but won just one game in those three sets, despite being one of fittest players in the game. The Scot would score the ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal, snapping a two-year, eight-match losing streak against the Serb, but Djokovic would up his FedEx ATP Head2Head advantage to 21-9, including trophies at the Australian Open, Miami Open and the BNP Paribas Masters.

Djokovic’s best-in-the-business inner-drive was perhaps best seen during their five-set battle at Roland Garros, a more-than-three-hour drama the outcome of which was delayed by fading light, rain and hail. Having let a comfortable two-set lead slip away, the 28-year-old refused to cave, winning seven-of-seven net points in the decisive fifth set and denying his opponent even a single break-point opportunity.

Despite the competitive nature of their relationship, Murray insists the two are still good friends.

“I have a lot of respect for Novak as a tennis player,” he observed. “I’ve known him since we were 12, 13 years old. It’s tough to be extremely close when you’re playing in huge matches against each other on a regular basis. That’s normal. But we get on absolutely fine. We were playing basketball together the other day. I get on well with Novak.”

 “When you watch his game, he hits the ball well off both sides,” Murray observed. “He serves well, returns well. He’s a very, very good athlete — very good endurance, as well. There’s not many holes in his game. When maybe one shot for him is off during a match, he can hit all of the other ones well and make up for that, too. There’s a lot of things that he does very well on the court. That’s why he’s been No.1 in the world for a while now.”

Djokovic vs. Murray: 2015 Meetings

 Event  Surface  Round Winner
 Score
Australian Open Hard F Djokovic  7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-0
Indian Wells Hard SF Djokovic  6-2, 6-3
Miami Hard F Djokovic  7-6(3), 4-6, 6-0
Roland Garros Clay SF Djokovic  6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1
Montreal Hard F Murray  6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Shanghai Hard SF Djokovic  6-1, 6-3
Paris Hard F Djokovic  6-2, 6-4

Djokovic vs. Murray FedEx ATP Head2Head

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