Murray speaks! “The first set was tight, there weren’t many chances either way, I just managed to get the break. The second set, I’d already qualified and Stan needed to win, so it helped me to play a little bit freer. Things can change quick at this level. Stan is one of the best in the world and when he plays his best he is unplayable. I played a very solid match.” He did indeed. The world No1 will be back tomorrow afternoon for his semi-final against Milos Raonic. Until then. Thanks for reading. Bye.
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The other semi-final will be between Kei Nishikori and Novak Djokovic. Tonight’s match between Nishikori and Marin Cilic is the deadest of rubbers.
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Andy Murray beats Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 6-2!
Serving for the match and the group, Murray tries to win the first point with a canny lob that lands just inside the line. But Wawrinka scampers back, hauls himself back into the rally and wins it with a forehand pass down the line for 0-15. Murray responds with an ace down the middle for 15-all and moves into a 30-15 lead when Wawrinka clips a backhand wide. Another swinging ace down the middle brings up two match points for Murray, who takes the first when Wawrinka sums up his afternoon and tournament by framing a forehand! It’s all over after an hour and 26 minutes and Murray has set up a semi-final against Milos Raonic tomorrow after winning his group. Wawrinka, I suspect, is off to investigate the bar situation.
Second set: Murray 6-4, 5-2 Wawrinka* (*denotes server): Serving to stay in the match, Wawrinka begins the job with a forehand winner for 15-0. A missed backhand makes it 15-all, but a punchy volley makes it 30-15. He holds to 15 with an ace. Murray will serve for the match.
Second set: Murray* 6-4, 5-1 Wawrinka (*denotes server): Murray holds to 15 with an accomplished volley and moves a game away from victory.
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Second set: Murray 6-4, 4-1 Wawrinka* (*denotes server): Wawrinka holds to 15. He will not face the indignity of a bagel.
Second set: Murray* 6-4, 4-0 Wawrinka (*denotes server): Trying to salvage some dignity – and maybe, just maybe, drag himself back into this tournament - Wawrinka moves into a 0-30 lead thanks to a couple of delicious shots, the first a deft drop shot, the second a fine volley. He can’t push on, though. Murray digs deep to win the next two points, but he’s facing a break point when Wawrinka comes out on top after a duel at the net. Wawrinka is left standing with his hands on his hips after a dismal backhand return off a second serve, though, and Murray holds.
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Second set: Murray 6-4, 3-0 Wawrinka* (*denotes server): It’s threatening to turn into a nightmarish afternoon for Wawrinka when he wallops a forehand volley wide at 15-all, a shot that suggests his focus isn’t absolute. At 30-all, he almost takes a line judge with a forehand to hand Murray a break point. Murray’s merciless. He hammers a forehand into the left corner and charges forward to gobble up a volley, landing the double break. To compound Wawrinka’s misery, he’s given a code violation for racquet abuse.
Second set: Murray* 6-4, 2-0 Wawrinka (*denotes server): At 15-all, Murray displays his confidence by playing a gorgeously angled backhand to win the point. But then he misses one and double-faults to gift Wawrinka his first break point. A big serve gets him out of trouble and he ends up holding without too much of a fuss.
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Second set: Murray 6-4, 1-0 Wawrinka* (*denotes server): Has the fight drained out of Wawrinka? Three forehand errors hand Murray three break points and it seems that Wawrinka might be about to mentally check out. Murray can’t take the first. But our suspicious are confirmed when Wawrinka makes a mess of a backhand. Murray breaks and inches closer to a semi-final with Milos Raonic.
Andy Murray wins the first set 6-4!
Serving for the set and his place in the last four, Murray needs a steady start after seeing three set points come and go in the previous game. But he introduces some doubt by wafting a backhand long. Wawrinka screams at himself after ballooning a forehand, though, and Murray makes it 30-15 by wrongfooting the Swiss with a forehand. A monstrous ace out wide gives Murray two more set points. He serves well out wide, placing it perfectly and forcing Wawrinka to stretch desperately and lift his forehand return well past the baseline! The set is Murray’s and it means he’s secured his place in the last four. Wawrinka is on the brink now. If he loses the next set, he’s out. The problem for the world No3 is that Murray will want to make sure he wins the match to ensure he doesn’t play Novak Djokovic tomorrow.
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First set: Murray 5-4 Wawrinka* (*denotes server): Serving to stay in the set, Wawrinka begins shakily, netting a weak backhand slice for 0-15, but steadies himself with a glorious backhand winner. The game goes to 30-all and Murray earns a set point when he overpowers Wawrinka, pummelling his backhand. He can’t take it, though, because he’s too wild with a forehand that was admittedly there to be hit. He earns another, though, guiding a stunner of a forehand away from Wawrinka, who saves it with some canny serving and volleying. A third chance arrives when Wawrinka nets a slice. Murray could do with putting this away. He can’t. Wawrinka’s forehand is too good this time and he ends up holding with a cracking backhand down the line. Murray will have to serve for the set.
First set: Murray* 5-3 Wawrinka (*denotes server): Looking to consolidate the break, Murray begins with a solid serve down the middle for 15-0 and comfortably wins the next two points to make it 40-0. Another huge serve allows him to hold to love. He’s a game away from booking his place in the last four.
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First set: Murray 4-3 Wawrinka* (*denotes server): Wawrinka’s serve has been on point so far, especially in the aces department. He makes it 15-0 with another fizzer. For the first time, though, Murray makes it 15-all on Wawrinka’s serve, the Swiss netting a forehand. The game goes to 30-all after another forehand error from Wawrinka and it’s not long before it drifts to deuce. After some tussling, Murray earns the first break point of the match when Wawrinka sends a backhand long. Murray attacks. He drives a backhand down the line – it clips the top of the net and lands favourably for Wawrinka, short and presentable. He goes down the line. Murray pounces with a backhand volley. All Wawrinka can do is stoop and net his backhand riposte! Murray breaks and Wawrinka chucks his racquet to the ground in anger! Someone really should set up a racquet support group. The punishment the poor things take.
First set: Murray* 3-3 Wawrinka (*denotes server): If Wawrinka drops a set, remember, then he’s relying on Cilic to beat Nishikori tonight. He doesn’t look in a mind to let that happen. The first two points in this game are shared, Murray tamely netting a backhand at 15-all. The game goes to 30-all, Wawrinka slapping a forehand down the line, Murray a little passive. Murray stands firm to move to 40-30, though, stretching to reach a Wawrinka forehand down the line and winning the point with an excellent backhand winner. He holds to 30 when Wawrinka loops a backhand long. There’s not much in this.
First set: Murray 2-3 Wawrinka* (*denotes server): Wawrinka is pulling some winners out of nowhere, stooping low and aiming a forehand down the line that once again gives Murray no chance at all. He makes it 30-0 with a confident smash from the baseline, then overpowers Murray in a baseline rally for 40-0. Again he takes a while to polish it off, but holds to 30 with an ace.
First set: Murray* 2-2 Wawrinka (*denotes server): Murray rattles into a 30-0 lead thanks to some strong serving, before he pings a forehand into the left corner for a 40-0 lead. He holds to love.
First set: Murray 1-2 Wawrinka* (*denotes server): Wawrinka makes it 15-0 with a crisp ace down the middle, then serves and volleys to good effect. Murray’s returns need to be a little sharper. Wawrinka is able to dictate the next too, another forehand winner making it 30-0. Murray heeds my advice and wins the next two points, hauling himself back into the game at 40-30, before Wawrinka balloons a backhand to make it deuce. Wawrinka is mixing the sublime with the ridiculous. He earns game points with a crisp forehand winner, only to double-fault. He calmly responds with two consecutive aces, Murray unable to carve out a break point.
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First set: Murray* 1-1 Wawrinka (*denotes server): Murray plays a slightly dangerous game with a volley than bounces a little high, but Wawrinka can only hook a forehand way past the baseline for 15-0. The next point goes to Wawrinka, though, Murray firing a forehand long at the end of a lengthy rally. Wawrinka appears to be in the mood. He makes it 15-30 with a whipcrack forehand that leaves Murray helpless. Murray responds with a fine first serve down the middle, though, attacking a short return with a punishing forehand for 30-all. The world No1 moves to 40-30 and holds thanks to a deft volley.
First set: Murray 0-1 Wawrinka* (*denotes server): Ready ... play! Stan Wawrinka opens the serving and he begins by flaying a signature one-handed backhand from left to right to lead 15-0, before whipping a forehand round the advancing Murray to lead 30-0. Another dreamy backhand finds the line and that’s 40-0. He holds to love with a cracking forehand volley. Not bad from the world No3.
They’ve done the coin toss. They’re knocking up. The match will begin shortly. Who’s your money on?
Here’s a brilliant stat for you - Stan Wawrinka has a 3-0 winning record against world No1s in grand slam finals and a 19-0 losing record against them elsewhere.
Here come the players! There’s a buzz here today. We could be about to witness a special match.
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At least one Murray brother will be finishing the year as the world No1. Congratulations to Brother Jamie and his doubles partner, Bruno Soares, who have been confirmed as the pick of the bunch after Kontinen/Peers beat Herbert/Mahut 6-7 6-4 10-4.
Incredible! @jamie_murray & @BrunoSoares82 are the @ATPWorldTour World No.1 doubles team! #BackTheBrits 🇬🇧🇧🇷👍 pic.twitter.com/XvFsODagDG
— British Tennis (@BritishTennis) November 18, 2016
Just to make it easy, here’s a handy breakdown of all the permutations.
Group John McEnroe ends Friday at #ATPFinals with @Andy_Murray, @StanWawrinka & @KeiNishikori eyeing SFs. Murray qualifies by winning 1 set. pic.twitter.com/MQSYQgDSgu
— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) November 16, 2016
Preamble
Hello. Having won his opening two matches in this tournament for the first time, you could be forgiven for thinking that Andy Murray has already won this group and made it through to the semi-finals. Come on, though, this is Andy Murray we’re talking about. When is it ever straightforward? Despite extending his winning streak to 21 matches when he outlasted Kei Nishikori in the longest ever match in this tournament’s history on Wednesday, he could still find himself with some extra time to prepare for his dad’s stag do if events conspire against him here at the O2 Arena today. His defence of the No1 ranking would be taken out of his hands in that scenario.
The lopsided draw means that while Novak Djokovic enjoyed a stroll against deputy David Goffin yesterday, the top two spots in this group are still up for grabs. After performing dismally against Kei Nishikori on Monday, Stan Wawrinka gave himself hope of qualifying when he edged past Marin Cilic on Wednesday night, meaning that Murray will have to take at least a set off the US Open champion to guarantee his progress. Murray will finish first if he beats Wawrinka today, but he’ll take nothing for granted against an opponent who has given him plenty of trouble in the past.
Murray thumped Wawrinka in the French Open in June and leads 9-7 in their head-to-head record, but he knows how dangerous the world No3 can be when he’s in the mood. If he fails to take a set off Wawrinka for the second year running here, he’ll be relying on the winless Cilic, who has next weekend’s Davis Cup final on his mind now he’s been knocked out, to do him a favour against Nishikori tonight.
Play begins at: 2pm GMT.
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