For Andy Murray, cutting a despondent figure in his chair, this has still been a good week – and a good season, which may finish with him as officially the world’s second-best player. Today showed just how much ground he needs to cross if he’s ever to reach top spot.
Novak Djokovic was imperious, mercilessly punishing mistakes and raising the tempo whenever Murray got close to him – which was really only a brief spell in the second set, after which Djokovic raced into the distance. He has now won 22 matches in a row, taking ten titles this year in sealing a third Paris title in a row. He’s in a league of his own – the challenge for Murray and the rest is to work out how on earth they catch him.
Thanks for joining me. Enjoy your Sundays. Bye!
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Novak Djokovic beats Andy Murray 6-2, 6-4 to win the Paris Masters!
It’s the last chance saloon for Murray, and after giving up the first point, he forces an error from Djokovic to level things up. Another unforced error follows though, as a backhand down the line misses the baseline. Murray brings out the slice in the next rally, but Djokovic forces the issue with a forehand into the corner. Championship point – and the title, and a 22nd straight win, is sealed as Murray’s return goes long!
Second set: Murray 2-6, 4-5 Djokovic* (*denotes next server) Murray will hope to power through this game – in any other circumstances, you feel it may well be the last of the match. Murray mixes up his angles on serve, and has two game points as a Djokovic return lands just long. He holds, but the hard work starts now.
Second set: *Murray 2-6, 3-5 Djokovic (*denotes next server) From 3-2 and 0-30 down, Djokovic clicked through the gears, and he’s now two games away from a record-breaking sixth Masters title in a year. Murray is keeping with him – until, having bossed a long rally, he inexplicably nets a straightforward smash. Murray looks utterly deflated, but keeps the game alive with a drilled return down the line. It doesn’t matter – Djokovic finds a first serve with sufficient bite, and holds to 30.
Second set: Murray 2-6, 3-4 Djokovic* (*denotes next server) If Murray errs an inch on his first serve, he’s getting punished – and a series of pulverising returns bring up two break points in the blink of an eye. Murray puts heavy spin on his second serve, but once we’re into the rally, Djokovic’s accuracy comes to the fore, and Murray blinks first, sending a forehand long. A mediocre service game from Murray, punished ruthlessly by Djokovic.
Second set: *Murray 2-6, 3-3 Djokovic (*denotes next server) Murray has drastically cut back on the errors, and accelerates to 0-30 with a cross-court forehand that barely bounces. From a perilous position, Murray has won 11 of the last 15 points – but Djokovic fights back, neutralising Murray’s power strokes before putting away a smash for 30-all. A fearsome second serve brings up game point, and Murray, frustrated as the chance slips away, slaps a backhand into the net.
Second set: Murray 2-6, 2-3 Djokovic* (*denotes next server) Djokovic has won 3 out of 4 points on Murray’s second serve, and continues the theme here, chasing down a predictable drop shot on the opening point. A big first serve, and a courageous overhead smash, turn the game back in Murray’s favour.
Djokovic powers back, taking control of the rally with a stellar forehand, backhand combination. 30-all, and Murray goes wide with a punched cross-court forehand – he’s missed too many of those today – and it’s break point. A serve out wide and a simple volley, and it’s deuce.
Djokovic just keeps coming at Murray, but this time he keeps with him, finding a winner, and shaking a fist, before a drop shot seals the hold.
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Second set: *Murray 2-6, 2-2 Djokovic (*denotes next server) Murray comes out fighting, and moves to 0-30 with a vicious forehand down the line, before a curious moment as Djokovic doesn’t offer a racket to a shot he thinks is going long, but clips the baseline. Murray charges in on the return and Djokovic nets. Murray breaks back to love!
Second set: Murray 2-6, 1-2 Djokovic* (*denotes next server) Murray does find the line with a sweeping volley, prompting Djokovic to have a word with himself. He has high standards, does Novak. More good stuff from Murray on serve, firing down a fourth ace – but he’s having to do something special for each point, and the scrappy shots in between keep Djokovic on terms. Murray goes long, and it’s another break point for Djokovic. On second serve, the world No1 has the crosshairs trained on Murray, forcing him so far back he’s practically in the Seine. A desperate lob goes long, and the mountain becomes a cliff.
Second set: *Murray 2-6, 1-1 Djokovic (*denotes next server) Murray has hit the sweeter shots – notching more winners in the first set – and he creates an angle to despatch a lovely, swerving volley. It’s of little consequence though, as Djokovic – throwing in his own clinical winner down the line among the baseline battling – romps away to hold to 15.
Second set: Murray 2-6, 1-0 Djokovic* (*denotes next server) Djokovic saved his best set of tennis for the final, and though that was more competitive in places than the scoreline suggests, Djokovic was still comfortably superior.
Murray, who hasn’t settled in – he’s complained about shadows on the court, and asked for an ice towel, even though we’re indoors – fights his way to 40-15 as Djokovic suffers a momentarily lapse of concentration. A double fault increases the pressure, and Djokovic dominates the next point. Deuce.
Murray’s first serve hasn’t quite fired, and without it, he’s getting dragged into baseline rallies he’s unlikely to win. He nets a regulation forehand, but changes things up on his serve to force Djokovic wide. First serves are like disco or seduction, you must take your time – and Murray does so, finding a killer ace down the T to seal the hold.
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Novak Djokovic wins the first set 6-2!
Djokovic rolls his shoulders after a tight-looking forehand flies long. Murray has him moving again with a drop shot from an impossible angle, and it’s 15-30. Murray again can’t find the line when going cross-court, and a crunching serve out wide brings up set point – and a gutsy second serve has Murray on the back front, and almost inevitably, he nets, and Djokovic has the first set in the bag.
Simon McMahon talks trophies
Murray has his work cut out here, but it’s the Davis Cup he really wants to get his hands on, and a real trophy it is too, not some miniature, arty-farty, metal Parisian tree. I’ve always thought small is beautiful as far as sports trophies are concerned, preferably with a story attached. How about The Ashes, Ryder Cup, Calcutta Cup, British Open for starters...
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First set: Murray 2-5 Djokovic* (*denotes next server) When they get into the rallies, there’s nothing to separate these two, but Djokovic has dominated this set just by delivering on the basics. Murray opens with a fourteenth unforced error, then has a serve called out – but as he moves to challenge, Djokovic gives him the point! It doesn’t harm him too much as he scraps his way to another break point, and a virtual set point. A kicking serve is returned with interest, and Murray nets the volley. Djokovic will serve for the set.
First set: *Murray 2-4 Djokovic (*denotes next server) After that marathon game, Djokovic mops a few stray beads from his brow, then hammers down a string of varied, accurate serves to race to 40-0. A long, wafted cross-court effort from Murray concludes the game.
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First set: Murray 2-3 Djokovic* (*denotes next server) Murray offers an apologetic hand, after a two-handed effort down the line clips the net and lands in. Murray then delivers two drop shots in successive points. The first works; the second doesn’t. Murray works his way to 40-30, but nets to take us to another deuce.
Djokovic may as well be a wall, so relentless and reliable are his returns, and he keeps the game alive for a full ten minutes despite Murray’s aggression. Djokovic then puts some extra zip on a forehand for break point, but a tidy volley at the net saves it for Murray. A meaty first serve, and a rare crack in the wall via a mishit forehand, saves the game, and the set, for Murray.
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First set: *Murray 1-3 Djokovic (*denotes next server) Murray ends a run of eight straight points for his opponent with an aggressive jab into the corner that Djokovic can’t return, but after getting on top in the next rally, he nets cheaply. Murray looks to have found the baseline from a loose drop shot, but Djokovic challenges, and is vindicated.
A rare two-handed mishit restores parity, but having done the hard work, Murray slashes an attempted winner wide. Murray then seals deuce with a disguised drop shot to end a battle of ferocious forehands. Deuce – but Djokovic holds, care of a couple of unforced Murray errors. An anti-climactic end to a scintillating game, but Djokovic consolidates the hold.
First set: Murray 1-2 Djokovic* (*denotes next server) An opening for Djokovic, as Murray goes long and then nets a backhand as Djokovic fires down the line. 0-30, then a cross-court backhand has Murray running in vain, and brings up three break points. Murray saves his serve from 0-40 one game in every eight, apparently. Not this time. He nets again, and it’s advantage Djokovic.
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First set: *Murray 1-1 Djokovic (*denotes next server) Djokovic dances through his first service game, firing down a couple of aces and outlasting his opponent in the longer points to hold to love.
First set: Murray 1-0 Djokovic* (*denotes next server) The first point sees a cross-court forehand from Djokovic drop wide, and although he controls the next rally, a big first serve and a wild Djokovic return put Murray in charge of the game. He seals it with a smart change of direction on his backhand, setting up a comfortable cross-court winner.
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Time
The warmups are over, and we’re about to begin, in front of a packed and noisy Paris Omnisports arena. Murray will serve first.
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So, Djokovic is going for a fourth Paris Masters title, and a third in a row. Andy Murray is looking for a maiden Paris title, but would become the third British champion in the last twenty years. Not many tennis titles you can say that about...
What it’s all about
The players are heading out on court, making their entrance through a fancy illuminated tunnel. A quick word about the trophy – it’s a tree that doubles as a high-end tournament bracket, with the winner’s name engraved on the trunk. The best trophy in sport? It’s a contender. Suggestions more than welcome.
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With the doubles final over with (Marcelo Melo and Ivan Dodig beat Jack Sock and Vasek Pospisil in three sets) the Paris crowd are being treated to a set from Parisian disco don Cerrone, who recently said “disco is like seduction, you must take your time”. Do you have to take your time with disco? Anyway, here’s a treat for your eyes and ears.
Prior to the match getting underway, we’re being treated to a head-to-head highlight reel that won’t brighten the hearts of many Andy Murray fans. Djokovic is 1-4 with most bookies to win today, with Murray available at 3-1. For a battle between the world’s top two players (provisionally at least), it’s not spectacularly close. Djokovic is fast approaching Federer ‘06 levels of dominance.
Preamble
Sometimes, you have to let the stats do the talking. Novak Djokovic has won his last 21 tennis matches, a run stretching back to the Cincinnati Masters final in August. If he makes it 22 today, he will take home a third straight Paris title, and the tenth bauble of a year where he has lost just five matches. The world No1 has reached 14 straight finals since a quarter-final loss to Ivo Karlovic in January; that was also the last time he lost to anyone currently outside the world’s top four.
Shuffling into the shadow of the mighty Serb today is Andy Murray, a player who looked capable of edging ahead in a competitive head-to-head battle after his Wimbledon final win in 2013. Ten contests have been and gone since then, with Djokovic shading it by nine wins to one. That solitary success, in Montreal this August, is the beacon of hope Murray must cling to; precious few players can even dream of defeating Djokovic in this form, but the world No3 is one of them.
Murray can make history today too; as well as putting another dent in Djokovic’s armour, he would secure a highest-ever year-end ranking of No2, and set up perhaps the fiercest era yet in their career-long rivalry. He can also practice getting a trophy home on the Eurostar, with the Davis Cup final in Belgium to come at the end of the month. Play begins at 2pm GMT. Don’t go anywhere.
