Scot will face world number two Djokovic or Nishikori in tonight’s final

Andy Murray remains on course for a dramatic showdown with Novak Djokovic as the world number one staged a superb fightback to defeat Milos Raonic 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (11/9) in the semi-finals of the ATP Tour Finals last night.
Murray will face world number two Djokovic or Japan’s Kei Nishikori in tonight’s final after surviving a three-hour 39-minute classic that ranked as the longest match in Tour Finals history. The Scot, who saved a match point in the final set tie-break, must win the Tour Finals for the first time to be guaranteed to finish 2016 on top of the world rankings, with Djokovic able to overhaul him if he takes the title for a record-equalling sixth time.
Murray would also finish number one if Djokovic loses to Nishikori in late last night match. If Djokovic does make the final, he might find Murray running low on energy after the Wimbledon champion was pushed to his limits by Raonic just days after he had to endured the previous longest match in the tournament, a victory over Nishikori that took three hours and 20 minutes.
“I played some great points and managed to get the break at the end,” Murray said. “It was an amazing atmosphere. The longer the match went on the louder the crowd got. This is what we play for. Matches like this and arenas like this. This is one of hardest matches I’ve played indoors.
“I didn’t expect to play a long one with someone with a serve like Milos. I’m tired. I’ve played so much tennis over the last few months. I’ll give it my best effort, the best of what I have.”
Raonic twice broke Murray when he served for the match in the final set and saved three match points in the decisive tie-break. But the Canadian fourth seed couldn’t take the one match point that came his way in a thrilling denouement that eventually went Murray’s way to repeat the outcome of their meetings in the Wimbledon and Queen’s finals on the other side of London earlier this year. Murray’s 23rd successive victory set a new career-best for the 29-year-old but only a 24th would bring a fitting finale to the best year of his life.
Nishikori has lost to Djokovic on his previous appearance in the semi-finals in 2014. The 26-year-old suffered a frustrating warm-up for his latest meeting with Djokovic as the world number five was beaten 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 by Marin Cilic in the evening session on Friday to leave him with two defeats in his three group matches.