THERE is a theory in tennis circles that David Ferrer was knitted for Andy Murray on hard courts.

This means the Spaniard’s game proves a perfect fit for the Scot. The evidence is compelling. Murray has dismissed the world No.5 four times in a calendar year on this surface and normally discovers that Ferrer can only irritate him rather than inflict deeper wounds.

This all changed in an extraordinary afternoon under the lights inside the O2 Arena in London.

The Barclays ATP World Tour finals by their very definition always present a challenge to the competitor, given it consists of the eight best players in the world.

However, Murray’s record against Ferrer is such that his demise in straight sets in two hours of play demands a rigorous investigation.

The first point that must be made is that Ferrer played well for most of the match, though he did fall into the odd trough. His 6-4, 7-5 victory was built mostly on a serve that was up to his best, sheer indefatigability and his defiant resilience.

Sometimes playing the 29-year-old must seem like hitting a ball off a wall. It just comes back. Murray, unusually, struggled to find the angles that would have disturbed Ferrer. Too often, the world No.5 was allowed to play flat forehands from a comfort zone.

The second issue was Murray’s fitness. Any mention of physical infirmity on behalf of the Scot is seen by some as a case of his apologists seeking excuses. However, it is simply a statement of fact to assert that Murray’s movement was hampered almost from the start of the match because of an injury to his groin.

The first signs were an anxious look to his trainers on the sideline, then a gentle flexing of the leg after just three games. The arrival of a trainer to administer treatment after the first set was no surprise. Murray regularly played shots with his feet in the wrong position, strongly suggesting restricted movement.

The Scot can be accused of shortcomings in areas of his game but movement is never one of them. The injury, too, is serious enough to threaten his participation in the event.

However, great players can find a way to win whatever the odds stacked against them. Rafael Nadal overcame a stomach upset to defeat Mardy Fish on Sunday night and Murray has in the past, most particularly at this year’s French Open, shrugged off injury to win a match.

Indeed, he had excellent chances against Ferrer. He raced to a 2-0 lead in the first set and, although the Spaniard broke back, Murray had a crucial break point at 4-4 that he played poorly. A double fault in the next game gave Ferrer the advantage and he took the second set point on his serve.

Murray also had the initiative twice in the second set. He again took a two-love lead, lost it and broke yet again at 3-3 to look likely to square the match.

Ferrer, however, broke back and then took the first point offered to him.

Murray produced two stunning shots in the match both when serving at 2-3 in the first. A cross-court backhand was spectacular and a punched forehand was one of the best this observer has witnessed from the Scot.

However, he was lacklustre and inefficient in the fundamentals of the game. His serve – again perhaps hampered by his injury – never fully functioned. He completed four aces but it is more relevant to note that his first-serve percentage was 46 in the first set and 53 in the second. Against someone such as Ferrer who can trade blows seemingly interminably, Murray needed to win ‘cheap’ points on his serve. He could never do this.

He was routinely condemned to play long rallies that, whatever his precise physical condition, is never a positive at this stage of the season. Murray, too, occasionally attempted to finish these exchanges prematurely. An unforced error count of 44 is the best illustration of the success of this strategy.

The stuttering quality of his serve, the inability to hold after breaking service and his caution in movement all contributed to an afternoon of deep disappointment for the world No.3. A metronomic Ferrer, of course, also contributed significantly to the Scot’s distress.

This defeat ensures Murray’s week in London is again a time of trial. Two years ago, Murray went out of this tournament after winning two matches, losing out to Roger Federer and Juan Martin Del Potro on percentage of games won. Last year he lost horribly to Federer before rallying to reach the semi-final where he was beaten by Nadal.

Now he has to take on Novak Djokovic, the world No.1, and Tomas Berdych, who defeated him in Paris, in his remaining group A matches. Two victories would be a great achievement yet might not be enough to ensure progress to the semi-final stage.

Berdych and Djokovic, too, both lead Murray in head-to-head match-ups. They are not knitted for Muuray who may not even be able to take up the challenge. It may all have unravelled for Murray last night.

ANALYSIS The last man any player wants to face when his movement is limited is David Ferrer, writes Hugh MacDonald