NEWSPost India

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal remains on course to complete one of the finest seasons by any player in the Open Era (since 1968) after reaching the final of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals on Saturday. Nadal was at his competitive best against an in-form Andy Murray, winning a high-quality semi-final 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(6) in front of a sell-out crowd at The O2 in London. Nadal has won three Grand Slam championship titles and completed the clean sweep of ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court tournaments in Monte-Carlo, Rome and Madrid in the spring. He has a 71-9 match record on the season.

The first set went to an inevitable tie-break, as neither player gave anything away on serve. On first service points, Murray had won 91 per cent to Nadal’s 82 per cent. Nadal gained a 5-3 lead in the tie-break, but Murray fought back and finished off a 36-stroke rally for 5-5 by running down a drop shot and then hitting a backhand volley winner. Nadal converted his first set point opportunity at 6-5 by putting Murray under tremendous pressure behind the baseline with the Scot eventually hitting a backhand into the net.

Despite hitting 18 winners and nine aces, Murray won 54 per cent of points on second serve and came out second-best to Nadal on the big points. In the second set, Nadal quickly had Murray under pressure in the second game. But Murray, carried by the majority support of 17,500 fans, saved two break points from 15/40 – hitting a fine backhand crosscourt winner to save the second point.

At 3-3, Murray outclassed Nadal by winning the first three points of the Spaniard’s service game. But Nadal recovered from 0/40 with a forehand winner, a Murray error and a body serve. Murray regained his composure, and on his fourth break opportunity hit a backhand crosscourt winner for the break. Nadal committed two unforced errors on serve at 3-5 and Murray took advantage to clinch the 51-minute second set with a forehand winner – his 17th winning stroke of the set.

In the second game of the third set, Murray changed his tactics and decided to serve and volley. It didn’t pay off and on break point, Nadal ripped a backhand to Murray’s feet, which the 23-year-old Scot could only half-volley wide. Nadal confirmed a 3-1 lead with a hold to 30. Murray looked down and out, but rose once again in the sixth game. Two break points went begging though as Nadal – one of the most competitive players in tennis history – won four straight points from 15/40 to take a 4-2 lead.

Watched by his favourite comedian Michael McIntyre, Murray let slip a 30/0 lead at 3-5 and saved one match point at 30/40 when Nadal miss-timed a backhand return. Nadal then missed his chance on serve to close out the match, as Murray hit a backhand winner down the line at 30/40 to level the score at 5-5. It was now Nadal’s turn to respond. The Spaniard won four straight points from 40/15 down and was denied his second match point when Murray hit an ace out wide. Eventually, inevitably, the pair’s 13th meeting was decided by a tie-break.

Murray opened up a 3-0 lead, courtesy of an ace and two forehand winners, but Nadal clawed his way back to 5-5. Murray hit a forehand wide to give Nadal his second match point, but the Spaniard could not convert it. He made it third time lucky, on serve, at 7-6 with a forehand stroke that ended the 81-minute third set that left the Centre Court crowd on their feet.

Nadal reached his ninth final of the year after three hours and 11 minutes of gruelling tennis. On Sunday, he will attempt to become the first Spaniard since Murray’s coach, Alex Corretja, in 1998 to lift the title at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.