Andy Murray moved a step closer to the semi-finals of the ATP Tour Finals as the world number one wore down Kei Nishikori in a gruelling 6-7 (9/11), 6-4, 6-4 victory that took over three hours last night.
Murray was pushed to his limits by Nishikori in the longest Tour Finals match played in the event’s seven years at London’s O2 Arena. But Murray finally subdued the Japanese star in three hours and 20 minutes and will be guaranteed a place in the last four if Marin Cilic defeats Stan Wawrinka in a late match last night.
“I just fought really hard. Kei was making me run but I eventually got over the line,” Murray said. “These are the sort of matches you work so hard for. I feel OK right now, but it’s the following day when you feel it often. Hopefully there will be another three days to this season and I’ll do my best to get through them.”
The 29-year-old’s gritty recovery took his winning streak to 21 matches, just one short of his career best run of 22 successive victories earlier this year. It is the first time Murray has started the Tour Finals with two consecutive group stage wins since his tournament debut in Shanghai in 2008.
Murray’s refusal to be outlasted by the obdurate Nishikori keeps him on course to retain top spot in the ATP rankings at the end of the year.
Novak Djokovic’s win over Milos Raonic on Tuesday had given the Serb a 70-point lead over Murray in the unofficial ‘as-it-stands’ rankings but, with each victory at the Tour Finals worth 200 points, the Scot moved back above his old rival by beating Nishikori.
To guarantee finishing 2016 in pole position, Murray must win the Tour Finals for the first time, with anything less giving Djokovic the chance to overhaul him. Murray has enjoyed an incredible 11 months in which he has won Wimbledon for the second time, claimed a second Olympic singles gold medal and lifted four successive titles in Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna and Paris. But since losing to Djokovic in the French Open final in June, the highest-ranked player Murray had faced was then world number six Milos Raonic in Cincinnati.
Murray had won seven of his nine meetings with Nishikori, but the world number five enjoyed an impressive triumph in their last encounter in the US Open quarter-finals and he made the Scot sweat again.
Murray was involved in the previous longest Tour Finals match, a 2010 semi-final loss to Rafael Nadal that took three hours and 11 minutes, and this time his overtime wasn’t in vain. While saving break points in the third and fifth games of the first set, Murray was pushed so hard that his wedding ring, which he keeps tied to his shoe, fell off.
When Nishikori earned another break point at 5-5, Murray again wriggled out of trouble but then squandered a set point in the next game. In a thrilling tie-break, Murray came from 3-6 down and saved four set points but crucially he was unable to take two set points of his own and Nishikori finally sealed it when the Scot missed a wild forehand.
It had taken 85 minutes to settle a gruelling first set, yet Murray’s energy levels remained high and he started the second set with an immediate break. Nishikori responded by levelling at four-all, only for Murray to break again and close out the set. Even after more than two and half hours on court, Murray’s renowned commitment to his fitness ensured he was still going strong in the final set and he broke in the third game. Murray broke again, yet Nishikori didn’t go quietly and he got one break back before the Scot at last aced one of his most demanding tests this year.

Djokovic beats Raonic to book last four spot

On Tuesday night, Djokovic had booked his place in the semi-finals with an emotional 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/5) victory over Raonic. Despite having a spiritual guru in his camp these days, Djokovic has been anything but serene lately and once again the defending champion cut an angst-ridden figure for long periods of a tense clash in the prestigious season-ending event at London’s O2 Arena.
Djokovic had reacted furiously after being grilled by the media about a potentially dangerous incident when he slammed a ball into the stands during his win against Dominic Thiem on Sunday.
This time, the world number two grumbled over camera flashes from the crowd and held a finger to his lips to urge them to be quiet, while moaning when Raonic tried some gamesmanship by taking his time tying up his shoelaces at a key moment in the first set tie-break.
But, to his credit, Djokovic handled everything a fired-up Raonic threw at him to ensure he remains on course to win the Tour Finals for a fifth successive year and record-equalling sixth time in total. “I managed to hang in there mentally and stay strong and believed that the opportunities would come and that I could take them,” Djokovic said. “Milos was hanging in there and only one or two points separated us in the second set. It could have gone either way this match. He’s such a strong player and has got firepower.”
With Austria’s Thiem having kept alive his hopes of reaching the semi-finals with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 victory over Gael Monfils earlier on Tuesday, Djokovic knew a win would seal his last four berth with one match still to play.
Djokovic had won all seven of his previous encounters with Raonic, dropping only one set in the process, but he had his hands full with the powerful Canadian this time.
Wimbledon finalist Raonic, who defeated Monfils in his opening match, earned break points in the Serb’s first two service games, but Djokovic wriggled out of trouble on both occasions and the set went to a tie-break.
Despite serving eight aces and hitting more than three times as many winners as Djokovic, Raonic just couldn’t kill him off and in the breaker an ill-timed double fault on set point gifted the first set to the Serb.
It had taken Djokovic 64 minutes to move ahead and the 12-time Grand Slam champion wasn’t going to let that effort go to waste.
Tour Finals debutant Thiem could join Djokovic in the last four after seeing off flamboyant Frenchman Monfils. The 23-year-old will need to defeat Raonic in his last group match today to reach the semi-finals.
Monfils is now certain to be eliminated after losing his first two matches. “It was a very close match but luckily he helped me in the last game. Maybe I was the lucky one today,” Thiem said. “I am very happy there’s still a chance for me to reach the semi-finals, but Milos Raonic is an amazing opponent.”