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Andy Murray beats Grigor Dimitrov to qualify for ATP Tour Finals Andy Murray beats Grigor Dimitrov to qualify for ATP Tour Finals
(35 minutes later)
Andy Murray secured his place at next month’s season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London with a highly impressive victory over Grigor Dimitrov in the third round of the Paris Masters. If there is one thing we should know about Andy Murray by now, it is that he comes out swinging when his back is up against the wall. Or, indeed, when it has been under a surgeon’s knife. Murray was under supreme pressure when he dropped to 12th in the world after losing to Novak Djokovic in the US Open and he was given no more than an outside chance of qualifying for the ATP World Tour Finals next month. Whatever happened, he was going to have to do it the hard way.
The 27-year-old Scot, whose hopes of retaining the Wimbledon singles title were crushed by the Bulgarian this year, was in control from the outset and a break in game three ensured that was reflected on the scoreboard. So, true to form, that is precisely what he did and on Thursday Murray was rewarded for the incredible commitment he has shown to his sport over the past six weeks when he became the fifth man to secure his place in London by reaching the quarter-final of the Paris Masters with a wonderfully serene 6-3, 6-3 victory over the gifted Bulgarian, Grigor Dimitrov. In doing so, Murray ended Dimitrov’s slim hopes of making it to the season’s final tournament.
A second break secured the first set and then after racing into a 3-0 lead in the second, the world No8 comfortably saw out a 6-3, 6-3 triumph to set up a quarter-final with Novak Djokovic or Gaël Monfils. “It’s nice,” Murray said. “It’s obviously a great event to be involved in. It’s a fun way to finish the year in London, who put on a great event, a packed house every day you play. I’m happy to have qualified.”
The British No1 headed to Paris after five successive weeks of tournaments, winning titles in Shenzhen, Vienna and Valencia, and joins Djokovic, Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic in reaching the London showpiece, with three spots still up for grabs. He should be. It has been a staggering turnaround. Murray is playing his sixth tournament in as many weeks, which is an outstanding effort given how the mental and physical strain of competing at highest level, and since making his exit in New York, he has won three ATP titles and 20 of his past 22 matches. He dragged himself to China and won and has flown back to Europe and won. Murray has played like a champion and he will fancy his chances in his quarter-final against either Djokovic or Gaël Monfils today.
“It’s a great event to be involved in,” Murray told Sky Sports. “It’s a fun way to finish the year in London – they put on a great event there, there’s a packed house every time you play, and I’m happy to have qualified. Dimitrov may have been feeling similarly confident when he walked on court against Murray yesterday. The Bulgarian tormented a subdued Murray at Wimbledon in July, winning their quarter-final without breaking sweat in three drama-free sets, and he has troubled the Scot in the past. The way that Dimitrov can shift the direction of a rally with his beautiful forehand had the potential to be problematic for Murray.
“Since the French Open I’ve played well, to be honest. I lost against some of the best players that have ever played the game in the slams this year. I lost to Roger at the Australian Open, at the French I lost to Rafa, Novak at the US Open, and then I didn’t play my best tennis against Grigor at Wimbledon. However Murray is playing sublime tennis and he was always in control, never once looking back after he broke for a 2-1 lead in the first set when Dimitrov flashed a forehand wide and then dumped another into the net.
“Around the French Open, I felt like I started playing well – I just needed to get some wins against the top players to gain some confidence, and I’ve managed to do that over thee last few weeks. It’s been a strong year after tough [back] surgery and a hard beginning of the year. I’m pleased with the way I’m playing just now and I hope it sets me up well for next season.” This was a vintage Murray performance; forceful, imaginative and oozing class. While he lost only two points on his first serve, he was returning excellently and he earned two set points with a stunning two-handed backhand down the line off a Dimitrov serve. A double-fault from Dimitrov, driven to distraction by his opponent’s baseline defending, was enough to hand Murray the set.
Murray was in the zone, clenching his fist in the direction of his box after giving Dimitrov the runaround on one point midway through the second set, and he broke for a 2-0 lead when the 23-year-old sent a wild smash wide. There was some fleeting resistance from Dimitrov near the end but Murray was never placed under any undue stress.
“Since the French Open I think I’ve played well,” Murray said. “I lost to some of the best players that have ever played the game in the slams this year. I didn’t play my best against Grigor at Wimbledon. Around the French Open I started playing well. It’s been a strong year after tough surgery and a hard beginning of the year. I’m pleased with how I’m playing.”
This being Murray, there had to be some deadpan humour afterwards and he managed to land a blow on his critics when he scrawled ‘Bad Year!’ on a television camera. Message received.
Murray’s victory means that Tomas Berdych, David Ferrer, Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic are left fighting over three spots in the Race to London. Berdych needs one more victory to qualify after he beat Feliciano López 7-5, 6-3, while Ferrer moved closer with a steady 6-1, 6-2 win over Fernando Verdasco and Raonic kept his hopes alive with a 7-5, 7-6 win over Roberto Bautista Agut.