Djoke reigns supreme; beats Murray second time in a month
Serb Novak Djokovic beat the world no.3, his friend and part-time hitting partner Scot Andy Murray 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in 2 hours and 35-minutes in a Group A clash of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, becoming the first player in the eight-man season finale to make the knockout stage of the competition.
Djokovic, with two wins from his two matches at The O2 Arena this week, next plays Czech Tomas Berdych, who came up short against Murray on Monday, while the world no.3 will play athletic Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Friday.
While acknowledging that Wednesday's match was close Murray said, it was decided at the fag end. "The last two minutes of the match probably decided it," he said, "He broke me from 15-40 in the eleventh game and then in the next I had him down at 15-40, but didn't break him. That was what decided the match."
Murray attempted to make up for the lack of a sun in London's winter sky with a pair of flaming yellow shorts, that along with his electrifying shots from the back of the court lit up The O2 Arena.
In the heavyweight duel of the league stage, Murray and Djokovic threw all the punches in the book and then some more, as the raucous 20,000-strong gathering cheered lustily as much for the spirit of the rivalry as for the skill the two men put on display.
The result doesn't really matter, however, as both players are likely to go through to the semifinal stage. For once then, it was about the journey rather than the destination.
Murray was quick off the blocks much to the delight of the crowd as the 25-year-old Scot broke his opponent in the opening game of match, a running forehand sealing the effort. That was good enough to give the Olympic gold medallist the first set.
Djokovic put his foot through the door in the sixth game of the second set, setting up breakpoint with a crisp volley and then breaking the Brit with a peach of a lob. That was all the Serb needed.
There were twists and turns in the decider but the Serb pulled himself together in time to break through the doors, becoming the first man from Group A to qualify for the semifinal stage.
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