Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori tend to linger when they get together. Their latest matchup set a record.
Murray survived the longest three-set match in ATP World Tour Finals history when he prevailed against Nishikori 6-7 (9/11), 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday.
They needed 3 hours, 20 minutes to separate themselves. The first set alone took 85 minutes.
Photo: EPA
Murray, 2-0 in his group, can clinch a semi-final berth for the first time in four years with a win over US Open champion Stan Wawrinka today.
Wawrinka eliminated Marin Cilic from contention 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/3) in an almost two-hour late match.
Losing to world No. 5 Nishikori would have hurt Murray’s chances of holding off Novak Djokovic to keep the No. 1 ranking.
Murray relieved Djokovic of the top ranking last week and Murray believes it would be a fitting end to the year to play the Serb for the ranking and ATP World Tour Finals title on Sunday in the final at the O2 Arena in London.
“For the tournament and stuff, for everyone interested in tennis, that would probably be the perfect way to finish the year,” Murray said. “For me and, I’m sure, for Novak, both of our goals would be to try to win the event. It doesn’t change for us as players.”
Murray said he abused himself on court more than usual while trying to figure out how to overcome Nishikori.
“He could have won in two sets, for sure,” Murray said. “He moves the ball around extremely well, better than anyone maybe. It was physically tough. I wasn’t able to dictate many of the points, it felt. More so in the third set I was able to, but not in the first couple of sets. I was having to run, fight, get as many balls back as I could.”
“I feel OK right now,” he said. “It’s normally the next day when you feel stiff and sore, but there’s hopefully three days left in the season and I’ll give my best to get through as many matches as I can.”
For all of Murray’s achievements this year, it was the first time he had played a top-five opponent since June, when he lost to Djokovic in the French Open final.
Nishikori was one of only three players to beat him in the intervening five months, edging a five-setter in the US Open quarter-finals. They also went five sets and almost five hours in the Davis Cup in March.
Murray has a chance to match his best winning streak of 22, from June to August, when he plays Wawrinka today to end the group stage.
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