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Andy Murray v Novak Djokovic: Top two fight to be number one at ATP Finals finale

  • Posted: Nov 20, 2016
Andy Murray v Novak Djokovic – final of ATP World Tour Finals
Venue: O2 Arena, London Date: Sunday, 20 November
Coverage: Live coverage on BBC Two, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra & BBC Sport website, tablets, mobiles and app from 18:00 GMT

Andy Murray will face Novak Djokovic with the ATP World Tour Finals title and year-end number one ranking at stake on Sunday.

The 35th meeting between the pair will also be the first time the season finale has ended with the number one spot on the line.

Murray replaced Djokovic as number one earlier this month, and the Briton is on a 23-match winning streak.

“I’m really privileged to be a part of history on Sunday,” said the Serb.

Djokovic has won the last four titles in London and will overtake Murray with another win.

He added: “We’ve known each other for so many years. This is maybe one of the biggest matches we will ever play, so let’s enjoy it.”

Murray said: “Sunday is the last day for a while, we get a break after that. I’ll just give my best of what I’ve got. Hopefully it’s enough.”

Analysis

BBC Radio 5 live tennis correspondent Russell Fuller

Murray has spent nearly three and a half hours more on court than Djokovic this week, and twice set a record for the longest match in tournament history. So his renowned resilience, fitness and mental strength will be sorely tested in the final against an old foe who is starting to play with real conviction again.

The two have not met since June’s French Open final, where Djokovic beat Murray for the 13th time in 15 matches. Since then, Murray has been by some margin the better player. He has won four titles in four different cities in the past six weeks: a fifth might just be considered his most remarkable triumph of the season.

Recovery key for Murray

Saturday’s semi-final win over Milos Raonic brought Murray his best ever winning run of 23 matches, but it also came at a cost.

At a gruelling three hours and 38 minutes it set a tournament record, and came just four days after Murray spent three hours and 20 minutes on court with Kei Nishikori.

The Scot, 29, has spent a total of nine hours and 54 minutes on court during his four matches this week, compared to six hours and 31 minutes for Djokovic.

“I don’t know how I’ll feel on Sunday,” said Murray, who headed to a nearby hotel rather than his Surrey home after the win over Raonic.

“The physical side, obviously the body is a bit sore after such a long match, but mentally it was tiring too.”

Murray will at least hope to enjoy the same rapturous reception each time he has stepped on court this week, with crowds of 17,000 eager to salute the new number one.

“When you’re out there competing, the atmosphere helps for sure,” he said.

“Playing in front of a pretty packed crowd at this stage of the year definitely gives you an extra boost, helps you to keep pushing right to the end.”

Flawless form boosts Djokovic

If Murray has been the leading force on the tour in the last six months, Djokovic has been utterly dominant at the O2 Arena for the last four years.

The 66-minute semi-final victory over Nishikori took his record to 22 wins in 23 matches at the O2, and he is going for a fifth straight season-ending title and sixth overall, to tie Roger Federer’s record.

After beating Murray to win his first French Open title in June, the Serb suffered a slump in form, but he feels his best is not far away now.

“It’s been going in the right direction,” said Djokovic. “I’m very glad that I get to experience this feeling on the court.

“The last couple of matches have been pretty much flawless, and now we’re coming up to the last match of the year that everyone anticipated and wanted.”

Djokovic has the edge – McEnroe

Djokovic leads the head-to-head 24-10 and has won 13 of their last 15 matches, including victories in the finals of the Australian Open, Madrid Open and French Open this year.

However, Murray beat the Serb to win his first Italian Open title in May and surged past him in the rankings by winning his last four tournaments.

Speaking earlier in the week, three-time Finals champion John McEnroe told BBC Sport: “Novak still has a decided edge in the bigger matches and a much better head-to-head.

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“That would lead me to believe that if they walk on the court on Sunday in the finals, he’d have a real chance to get things right in his mind and finish the year world number one.

“But Murray has done a lot of really great things to get to this place, and has been playing the best overall the last six months, so if there was a time when he’s ready to finally make this step, it would be a hell of a place to do it.”

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Jamie Murray & Bruno Soares beaten in semi-finals of ATP Finals

  • Posted: Nov 19, 2016

New world number one doubles team Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares suffered a disappointing defeat in the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour Finals.

The British-Brazilian duo were beaten by South Africa’s Raven Klaasen and American Rajeev Ram 6-1 6-4 in an hour at the O2 Arena in London.

But Murray and Soares have already overtaken Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in the year-end rankings.

After three round-robin match wins, they were outplayed by Klaasen and Ram.

The latter pair will play Finland’s Henri Kontinen and Murray’s former partner, Australian John Peers, in Sunday’s final.

Kontinen and Peers beat the Bryan brothers 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 in their semi-final.

Earlier, Jamie’s brother Andy Murray kept his hopes alive of ending the season as the world number one singles player by beating Milos Raonic in a thrilling semi-final, which lasted three hours and 38 minutes.

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Andy Murray beats Milos Raonic to reach the final of the ATP World Tour Finals

  • Posted: Nov 19, 2016

Andy Murray is into his first season-ending final and on course to end the year as world number one after beating Milos Raonic at the ATP World Tour Finals.

The Briton, 29, won a gripping semi-final 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (11-9) in three hours and 38 minutes.

Murray must match Novak Djokovic’s results at the O2 Arena to stay ahead of the Serb in the rankings.

Djokovic plays Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori in their semi at 20:00 GMT.

The victory over Canadian fourth seed Raonic extended Murray’s winning streak to a career-best 23 matches, stretching back to September.

It was the Scot’s second lengthy encounter in four days, breaking the tournament record of three hours and 20 minutes he took to beat Nishikori in the round-robin stage on Wednesday.

“I didn’t expect to play a long one with someone with a serve like Milos,” said Murray.

“I’m tired. I’ve played so much tennis over the last few months. I’ll give it my best effort – the best of what I have.”

Raonic tests Murray to the limit

Murray was yelling at himself and 17,000 spectators were screaming with every twist and turn before he finally prevailed in an extraordinary contest.

He twice failed to serve out the match as the clock ticked past three hours in the final set, and three match points then slipped by in the tie-break.

Raonic had lost his past seven matches against Murray, including the finals at Queen’s Club and Wimbledon this year, but when his chance came with a match point of his own it was snuffed out by a sharp Murray volley.

Finally, at the fourth time of asking, Murray converted a match point to reach his first final at the O2 Arena and remain in control of his number one hopes.

“It was an amazing atmosphere,” added Murray.

“The longer the match went on, the louder the crowd got. This is what we play for. Matches like this and arenas like this. This is one of hardest matches I’ve played indoors.”

How did Murray fight back?

Raonic took the first set after Murray’s second serve had kept him in it for almost an hour, only to double fault on a fourth break point at 5-5.

An early break in the second had the Canadian within sight of victory, but only briefly as he followed up with an error-strewn game to hand the advantage back at 2-2.

Murray was two points from defeat in the tie-break when he was pegged back to 5-5 but a gorgeous forehand volley edged him ahead again, and a serve levelled the scores.

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It seemed he had finally done enough with a break at 4-4 in the decider, but a pumped-up Raonic thumped away a smash to break back, and two games later he repeated the trick when Murray netted a forehand.

But with his knuckles bloodied from angrily punching his racquet rings, Murray would not yield.

The Wimbledon champion came through a second nerve-jangling tie-break to secure his place in Sunday’s final (18:00 GMT, BBC Two), and a chance to make history once again.

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Kontinen & Peers Clinch The First Set

  • Posted: Nov 19, 2016

Kontinen & Peers Clinch The First Set

 A tie-break was required to complete the opening set

Henri Kontinen and John Peers are closing in on a maiden final at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, taking the first set 7-6(2) against Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan on Saturday.

Bob Bryan was forced to fend off three break points in total during a quick-fire opening set but the server dictated play as neither pairing could seize the initiative. A tie-break was required and Kontinen’s sublime stop-volley along with Peers’ backhand return winner established the perfect start. The fifth seeds struck a series of aggressive returns and claimed the first set over the four-time champions.

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