Federer and Murray off to flying start
Source: Agencies |
November 23, 2010, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FOR all the special effects which greeted the start of the ATP World Tour finals at the O2 Arena on Sunday it was the play of Roger Federer and Andy Murray that really dazzled the capacity crowd.
World No. 2 Federer never requires gimmicks to leave his audience spellbound and that proved the case again as he began his bid for a record-equalling fifth title at the season-ender with a 6-1, 6-4 defeat of Spaniard David Ferrer.
Earlier in front of a 17,500-capacity crowd, Murray dropped only one more game, crushing Sweden's world No. 4 Robin Soderling 6-2, 6-4 with a virtuoso display that augurs well for the home favorite as he aims to end a mixed year on a high.
Murray entered the cavernous arena to strobe lighting and The Clash classic "London Calling".
"The atmosphere here is obviously different," the 23-year-old Murray, whose next Group B match will be against Federer today, told reporters. "It's sort of like a concert with music at the change of ends, the big screen showing replays of the points. It was so loud. I didn't know what was going on at first."
The Scot produced some glittering tennis in his 80-minute victory - pocketing the US$120,000 available for each round robin win in the process. Four more performances of similar quality would give Murray a reasonable shot at the US$1.6 million jackpot for any player to win the tournament with a maximum five victories, although Federer will provide a formidable obstacle.
Federer, making his ninth consecutive appearance at the tournament, looked imperious against Ferrer and had soccer great Diego Maradona nodding in approval.
The Swiss waltzed into a 4-0 lead and looked set for an embarrassingly easy victory before Ferrer finally made him sweat.
Things even got a bit sticky for Federer in the second set when he fended off three break points while serving for the match but he closed it out to take his career record over Ferrer, who he beat to win his last season-ending title in Shanghai three years ago, to 11-0.
World No. 2 Federer never requires gimmicks to leave his audience spellbound and that proved the case again as he began his bid for a record-equalling fifth title at the season-ender with a 6-1, 6-4 defeat of Spaniard David Ferrer.
Earlier in front of a 17,500-capacity crowd, Murray dropped only one more game, crushing Sweden's world No. 4 Robin Soderling 6-2, 6-4 with a virtuoso display that augurs well for the home favorite as he aims to end a mixed year on a high.
Murray entered the cavernous arena to strobe lighting and The Clash classic "London Calling".
"The atmosphere here is obviously different," the 23-year-old Murray, whose next Group B match will be against Federer today, told reporters. "It's sort of like a concert with music at the change of ends, the big screen showing replays of the points. It was so loud. I didn't know what was going on at first."
The Scot produced some glittering tennis in his 80-minute victory - pocketing the US$120,000 available for each round robin win in the process. Four more performances of similar quality would give Murray a reasonable shot at the US$1.6 million jackpot for any player to win the tournament with a maximum five victories, although Federer will provide a formidable obstacle.
Federer, making his ninth consecutive appearance at the tournament, looked imperious against Ferrer and had soccer great Diego Maradona nodding in approval.
The Swiss waltzed into a 4-0 lead and looked set for an embarrassingly easy victory before Ferrer finally made him sweat.
Things even got a bit sticky for Federer in the second set when he fended off three break points while serving for the match but he closed it out to take his career record over Ferrer, who he beat to win his last season-ending title in Shanghai three years ago, to 11-0.
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