There are plenty of special effects inside the O2 Arena for the ATP Tour Finals, but nothing could match the sight of Roger Federer in full flow as he beat Andy Murray on Tuesday to guarantee the year-end No. 1 ranking.
Federer did not have to be at his magical best, but after a wobbly start he took control midway through the match and treated the 17,500 capacity crowd to some shots that only he can play, reeling off the last six games for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory.
His second three-set win in Group A meant that world No. 2 Rafael Nadal can no longer close the points gap in the rankings and Federer will have the honor of finishing the year as the world No. 1 for the fifth time in his career.
PHOTO: AFP
Only Pete Sampras, who managed the feat six times in the 1990s, and Jimmy Connors, who did it five times in the 1970s, have achieved that since rankings were introduced in 1973.
Federer also becomes the only man other than Ivan Lendl in 1989 to regain the year-end crown after being toppled from the summit by Nadal last year.
While Federer is untouchable in the rankings, the intricacies of tournament’s unique format mean that his place in the semi-finals here is not yet guaranteed. Juan Martin del Potro’s earlier victory over Fernando Verdasco meant that all four players in Group A can still progress.
Federer tops the table with two wins but defeat by Del Potro, the man who stopped him in his tracks in the US Open final, today and victory for Murray against Verdasco would mean calculators would be needed to work out the final standings.
Towering Argentine Del Potro found his range to beat Verdasco 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 in the day session to make up for his defeat by Murray on Sunday, meaning that five of the six singles matches played here so far have gone the distance.
“I felt nervous because if I lost, I go home,” the 21-year-old Del Potro, who hopes to have Argentina striker Carlos Tevez watching against Federer, told reporters.
“It was important, the victory today, to get confidence. I hope to play my best tennis against Roger,” Del Potro said.
There was a huge sense of expectation as Murray and Federer took the spotlight in the evening session for their 10th career meeting, six of which had been won by Murray, including a sensational scrap 12 months ago in Shanghai, the former host city for the tournament.
Federer broke Murray’s serve in the opening game, but the Scot hit back immediately to raise the noise levels in the darkened arena that has proved a spectacular backdrop for the world’s top eight players to strut their stuff.
Federer played a poor game to drop serve in the sixth game and Murray consolidated the break with a slam-dunk smash.
When Murray claimed the first set, T-shirts were fired into the crowd by organizers, but the party turned flat for Murray’s fans from then on as he faded badly.
Bad news indeed when the man on the other side of the net happens to be Federer and the Swiss needed no second invitation to swarm all over an opponent who has caused him plenty of headaches in their previous career meetings.
Federer was clearly in a hurry to get the job done and pulled out all the stops in the third set, one crosscourt forehand played from almost in the first row of seats worth the entrance money alone.
“It was probably the most double faults I served in a match maybe this year in the first set ... I served pants,” Murray said.
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