ANDY MURRAY will need to hit the hardcourt at full speed this afternoon.
The rhythm of everyday tournament life on the tour is that the top players can ease themselves into a campaign with a match they should win even playing well within their capabilities.
Tournaments offer the chance of a gentle stretch before the lung-bursting exertions begin against the top-rated players. The Barclays ATP World Tour finals present no such luxury.
This is a tournament for the best eight players in the world and the test begins with the first serve. There will be no quaking wildcard on the other side of the net when Murray steps on to court at the O2 Arena in London today. Instead, the squat and pugnacious figure of the world No.5 will present a formidable challenge to the Scot’s ambitions.
The 24-year-old fully appreciates the problems that will be posed by David Ferrer of Spain.
“You have to be sure from the first match that you’re switched on,” said Murray. “It’s not like I go into any other tournament not trying to be switched on, but sometimes you’re not quite playing your best and you can scrape your way through a match or two and then work your way into the tournament. Here you have to play your best – it’s as simple as that – so your mindset does change a little bit.”
Murray has a 5-3 record against Ferrer but more pertinently he leads 5-0 on hardcourt, including a facile victory over the Spaniard at the 02 last year.
“I have played well against him on the hard courts in the past,” said Murray. “But that’s because I’ve needed to. So if I don’t play well then it’s going to be a tough one.”
Murray also has Tomas Berdych, who beat him in Paris last week, and Novak Djokovic, the world No.1, in his group, from which two players qualify for the semi-finals. “It’s going to be tough – a lot of long points, long matches probably.”
Ferrer’s gameplan will be to prolong the rallies as he has no powerful weapon to disturb the Scot. An industrious player, the Spaniard will seek to frustrate Murray and make every point a battle.
Undoubtedly the underdog, Ferrer, however, remains in confident mood, particularly as he anticipates the Davis Cup final against Argentina next week. “My goal was to stay in the top 10 this year,” he said. “I am world No. 5 and my goal was to play this tournament. I will do my best. I don’t know about my chances of getting to the semi-finals, but I am focused on my first match against Andy.”
The Spaniard, who is making his third appearance at the end of season finals, added: “I think I have played my best tennis this season. It is tricky to say how I have become more consistent, but I think I am more experienced. I am improving each day and I feel fitter.”
He made his tour finals debut in Shanghai in 2007 and reached the final, losing to Roger Federer. However, he showed he could play on hardcourt by defeating Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Richard Gasquet and Andy Roddick en route to the final.
“I had a great experience when reaching that final,” he said. “I have some very good memories of that, but this is four years on.” Ferrer, however, has some decent form this year on hardcourt. He won in Auckland, reached the semi-final of the Australian Open, and made the final in Shanghai. But Murray has been his nemesis on the surface this year.
Ferrer has earned $2.5m in prize money this year and won two tournaments, but he may feel his season has a better chance of ending in glory on the clay of Seville next week against Argentina.
Murray is a heavy favourite to win the first match in the group. He will almost certainly have to work for it, however.
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