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Andy Murray’s ATP Tour Finals hopes boosted by win over David Ferrer Andy Murray’s ATP Tour Finals hopes boosted by win over David Ferrer
(about 3 hours later)
Andy Murray battled to a 5-7 6-2 7-5 victory over David Ferrer in the final of the Erste Open in Vienna to boost his chances of reaching the ATP Tour Finals. Andy Murray battled to a 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 victory over David Ferrer in the final of the Erste Open in Vienna to boost his chances of reaching the ATP Tour Finals.
The British No1 climbed into seventh place on the Race To London, with the top eight qualifying, by securing a crucial 250 points, with just two ranking events left. The British No1 climbed into the eighth and final qualifying place in the race to London by securing a crucial 250 points, with just two ranking events left before next month’s finals.
Ferrer, ninth in the ATP list heading into Sunday’s final, had edged the first set before Murray rallied to level and force a decider. However, Rafael Nadal has cast doubt over his own participation in the end-of-season event due to long-standing appendicitis which requires surgery.
Both men felt the pressure with a run of five service breaks before Murray closed out victory after a little more than one hour and 40 minutes. Ferrer, now ninth in the ATP list, had edged the first set before Murray rallied to level and force a decider. Both men felt the pressure with a run of five service breaks before the Scot closed out victory in two hours and 41 minutes.
The opening games went with serve, before a wide forehand from Murray allowed Ferrer the first break at 4-2. Murray then immediately broke back himself, clinching the second break opportunity as Ferrer’s return was out, then held his next service game to level at 4-4. “It was an extremely difficult match,” Murray told British Eurosport. “He deserved to win the first set, I deserved the second and the third could have gone either way. It was extremely close at the end – I just managed to get through.
“We played two really close matches, David won last week in Shanghai, and whoever qualifies for the finals will deserve it. It is the best players over the 12 months so we will see in the next [few] weeks, but it is going to be very close.”
The opening games went with serve before a wide forehand from Murray allowed Ferrer the first break at 4-2. Murray then immediately broke back himself, clinching the second break opportunity, then held his next service game to level at 4-4.
However, there was more frustration for Murray in the crucial 11th game, which he handed to Ferrer following another unforced error. Murray managed to save two set points, but was only delaying the inevitable as Ferrer closed out the first set 7-5 in just over an hour.However, there was more frustration for Murray in the crucial 11th game, which he handed to Ferrer following another unforced error. Murray managed to save two set points, but was only delaying the inevitable as Ferrer closed out the first set 7-5 in just over an hour.
The Spaniard, however, failed to maintain that momentum as a couple of double faults proved costly in game three of the second set. The Spaniard, however, failed to maintain that momentum and Murray took his chance after a long return from his opponent in the final set presented him with a first match point.
Murray himself needed to save three break points against his next service game before moving ahead 3-1 and then at 4-2. Ferrer’s return into the net saw Murray claim a second break, with the Spaniard smashing his racket onto the floor at the baseline. Next up for Murray is this week’s Valencia Open, in which he faces Austria’s Jurgen Melzer in the first round. “We leave this evening,” he said. “Every tournament right now is very important. Maybe I will have one glass of champagne tonight, but not more than that.”
Murray forced the decider when he served out on a first set point after a forehand from Ferrer was long. Nadal, meanwhile, is currently on a course of antibiotics in an attempt to delay surgery until after the ATP Tour Finals, which begin on 9 November.
Another error by Ferrer allowed Murray an early break in the opening game. However, the Spaniard quickly broke back to level before converting another break chance on Murray’s next service to move ahead 4-2. Speaking to Sky Sports News at a promotional event in France , the world No3 said: “I need to see how things go and how my body accepts the antibiotics, so after all the things that have happened over the last few weeks, let’s see. I will try to do my best [to be in London] but I cannot say, I do not know 100%.”
The pressure, though, was beginning to tell as an unlikely run of five consecutive service breaks was confirmed with a double fault by Ferrer, giving Murray the opportunity to tie the set at 5-5, which he did to love.
Murray stayed on the front foot as he forced yet another break with some aggressive baseline returns and served for the match at 6-5. A long return from Ferrer presented a first match point, which Murray claimed with an ace wide to the left tramlines, which was corrected on Hawkeye appeal.