No. 1 Nadal Streaks Past Wawrinka In 2013 London Finale Classic Moment
No. 1 Nadal Streaks Past Wawrinka In 2013 London Finale Classic Moment
Nov192016
Henri Kontinen and John Peers have marked their team debut at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals by finishing Group Fleming/McEnroe undefeated, following a 6-7(5), 6-4, 10-4 victory over Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut on Friday.
The win for semi-finalists Kontinen/Peers also guaranteed the season-ending No. 1 Emirates ATP Doubles Team Ranking for Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares.
More to follow.
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Andy Murray takes on Canadian fourth seed Milos Raonic in the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour Finals on Saturday.
The Scot, 29, is trying to win the season-ending finale for the first time, and end the year as world number one.
He must at least match the performance of Serbia’s Novak Djokovic to retain top ranking.
Five-time champion Djokovic takes on Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori in the second semi-final at 20:00 GMT.
Jamie Murray and Brazil’s Bruno Soares will play in the second doubles semi-final at 18:00.
Murray has beaten Raonic seven times in a row, and five times this year, including in the Queen’s Club and Wimbledon finals.
“It’s a big match,” said Murray, who is on a 22-match winning streak. “Milos serves big, goes for his shots. He moves forward when he has the chance.
“I think he probably likes the conditions here. It’s a little bit quicker.
“You don’t normally get loads of opportunities against the big servers. This year when I’ve played him, I’ve created a few opportunities in the matches.
“When they’ve come, I’ve been pretty clinical. I’ll need to be the same tomorrow if I want to win.”
Raonic, 25, has impressed so far in London, with his huge serve even more potent in the indoor arena, and he hopes the pressure of the rankings chase might finally get to Murray.
“I’ve played Andy many times this year. I haven’t gotten the better of him,” said the Canadian.
“I think the one thing that I might have is how much he has on his shoulders right now, a lot of consecutive matches, and as well what he’s playing for.
“I have to try to do my best to try to accentuate that as much as possible in my own favour, so I can really get the most out of myself and hopefully be able to get on top of him for once this year.”
Raonic was a doubt for the tournament after pulling out of the Paris Masters semi-finals with a leg injury, but the goal of ending the year as world number three has driven him on.
“It’s very big for me,” he said. “That’s what I had for myself as the biggest motivator to come here and try to heal up quickly and play.”
Djokovic goes into the weekend with a daunting record of 21 wins in his last 22 matches at the O2 Arena, and despite avoiding each other in the semi-finals, there remains the prospect of a tantalising final showdown with Murray on Sunday.
Andy Murray beats Stan Wawrinka to top the John McEnroe Group, qualify for the semi-finals and stay on track to retain the world number one ranking.
Andy Murray qualified for the semi-finals and stayed on track to retain the world number one ranking with victory over Stan Wawrinka at the ATP World Tour Finals.
The Briton only needed one set to reach the last four, but beat the Swiss 6-4 6-2 to top the John McEnroe Group.
Murray extended his winning streak to 22 matches and goes on to face Milos Raonic at 14:00 GMT on Saturday.
Serb Novak Djokovic faces Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the other semi at 20:00.
Djokovic also won all three of his group matches, and Murray must at least match his results at the O2 Arena to end the year at the top of the rankings.
The group stage will conclude when Nishikori takes on Marin Cilic in Friday’s evening session at 20:00 GMT, but the Croat cannot overhaul the fifth seed to qualify.
Murray withstood an early barrage of winners from Wawrinka before taking a grip on the match midway through the first set.
“The first set was tight. There weren’t many chances,” said Murray, 29.
“I managed to get the break late in the set. In the second set I’d already qualified for the semis, so maybe it was easier for me to play more free than him.”
The Scot knew he only required one set, while Wawrinka was really in need of a straight-set victory, lending the contest an added air of tension from even the early stages.
A healthy contingent of Swiss fans among the 16,000 spectators added to an atmosphere more akin to the latter stages of a Grand Slam.
Wawrinka, 31, blasted four winners in the opening game but could not make the breakthrough and Murray capitalised in game seven.
A loose backhand gave Murray a break point and when the Swiss failed to put away a forehand pass, the Wimbledon champion pounced at the net – prompting Wawrinka to smash his racquet in anger.
Murray could have been forgiven for a few nerves when three set points then slipped by on the Wawrinka serve, but he served out nervelessly in the following game and qualification was secure.
Wawrinka framed a forehand to drop serve at the start of the second and his challenge was all but over, as Murray raced 4-0 clear and closed it out after one hour and 26 minutes.
Murray’s 22-match winning run equals the career-best effort he set earlier this year from Queen’s Club in June to Cincinnati in August.
During that run he beat Raonic in the Queen’s and Wimbledon finals, and he has since had two more wins over the Canadian in Cincinnati and Paris.
Raonic, seeded fourth, won two of his three group matches in London, only losing a tight two-set match against Djokovic.
“He’s played very well in this event,” said Murray, who has won his last eight in a row against Raonic. “These are quick conditions here and it’ll be tough.
“He’s got a huge serve. It’s an amazing stadium and atmosphere.”
Britain’s Jamie Murray and Brazilian Bruno Soares will end the year as the number one doubles team in the world.
French pair Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut saw their number one ranking challenge end with defeat at the ATP World Tour Finals on Friday.
They lost 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 10-4 to Henri Kontinen and John Peers in their final group match in London.
Herbert and Mahut, who failed to reach the semi-finals, trail Murray and Soares by 25 points.
Murray and Soares are assured of topping the ATP doubles team rankings for 2016, and the Brazilian could overtake Mahut in the doubles individual rankings if they win the title.
Murray, speaking to BBC Two shortly after finding out the news, said: “It’s very exciting. It’s a strange way to do it in the end but we’ve had a great year and won some big tournaments.”
Andy Murray needs to win a set on Friday afternoon to ensure his place in the semi finals and with it continue to keep the…