RICKY’S PREVIEW AND PICK FOR THE WORLD TOUR FINALS TITLE MATCH AND THE BATTLE FOR NO. 1: MURRAY VS. DJOKOVIC

Written by: Staff on 19th November 2016

RICKY'S PREVIEW AND PICK FOR THE WORLD TOUR FINALS TITLE MATCH AND THE BATTLE FOR NO. 1: MURRAY VS. DJOKOVIC |

By Ricky Dimon

The Battle Is On.

For the first time ever on the ATP Tour, the year-end No. 1 ranking is all coming down to the final match of the season between the world’s top two players.

Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic will be facing each other for the 35th time in their careers when they battle for both the top spot in the rankings and the winner’s trophy of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals on Sunday evening. Djokovic leads the head-to-head series 24-10, including 13-2 in their last 15 meetings dating back to the start of the 2014 campaign and 5-1 in their last six dating back to the fall of 2015.

They have faced each other four times in 2016, with Djokovic prevailing in the Australian Open and French Open title matches in addition to the Madrid final. Murray’s lone win came in the championship round of the Rome Masters.

Andy Murray of Britain in action against Stan Wawrinka fo Switzerland during their Men’s singles match at the ATP World Tour Finals tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London, Britain, 18 November 2016. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA

Since his Roland Garros setback against Djokovic, Murray has been the man on a mission. The three-time major champion has stolen the No. 1 ranking from his rival by capturing the title at seven of his last nine events–a stretch that features Wimbledon, the Rio Olympics, and both of this fall’s Masters events (Shanghai and Paris). He is 49-3 in his last 52 contests dating back to Queen’s Club and 23-0 in his last 23 overall.

Murray is 4-0 this week, but it certainly hasn’t been simple. In fact, he has played the two longest matches this tournament has seen since it moved to the O2 Arena in 2009. Murray survived Kei Nishikori 6-7(9), 6-4, 6-4 in three hours and 20 minutes on Wednesday and fought off one match point before emerging on top of a 5-7, 7-6(5), 7-6(9) semifinal thriller against Milos Raonic that lasted three hours and 38 minutes on Saturday afternoon. He also scored more routine straight-set scalps of Marin Cilic and Stan Wawrinka.

Also undefeated in London, Djokovic battled through a three-setter against Dominic Thiem and then needed two tiebreakers to edge Raonic. But the second-ranked Serb raised his level in a hurry to thrash David Goffin 6-1, 6-2 and to crush Nishikori 6-1, 6-1 in Saturday’s nightcap. Nishikori had been coming off a three-set loss to Cilic on Friday night.

Now Djokovic has a date with another fatigued adversary–and with history.

“I must say that I’m very honored to be part of the history,” he noted. “I hear this is the first time in the history of the ATP that the two best players are deciding the rankings in the last match. That is something we should all be conscious of. I’m excited to go out on the court and battle.”

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in action against Japan’s Kei Nishikori during their Men’s singles semi final match at the ATP World Tour finals tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London, Britain, 19 November 2016. EPA/HAYOUNG JEON

“I don’t know how I’ll feel tomorrow,” Murray said during his press conference. “Obviously (I’m) tired just now because it was a really hard match. Tomorrow is the last day for a while; (I) get a break after that. I’ll just give my best of what I’ve got tomorrow. Hopefully it’s enough.”

Many thought Murray’s best–which has been on display for the last five months–would be enough at the O2 Arena. But now he is running into the most difficult of opponents under the toughest of circumstances. Not only has Djokovic dominated their recent head-to-heads, but he is also an amazing 23-1 in his last 24 matches at an event in which only the best players are invited.

To be the best you have to beat the best, and that is exactly what Djokovic has done in recent seasons. He will likely do it again.

Pick: Djokovic in 2