Ricky Dimon

• World Tour Finals profile: No. 4 Andy Murray

  2009-11-18 17:13:52
  

  In the eight days leading up to the 2009 World Tour Finals, Ricky will individually preview this year’s eight qualifiers, starting with No. 8 and progressing toward No. 1. Up next is Andy Murray.

   

  Although it came as no surprise, Andy Murray was among the world’s best from start to finish of an entire year for the first time in his career. He started 2009 at No. 4 in the world and never wavered, wrapping up his regular season in the same position while even venturing to the No. 2 spot during the summer.

   

  Murray’s place in the World Tour Finals, of course, was never in any kind of doubt. He won an ATP title in each of the first three months of the year; Doha (d. Roger Federer and Andy Roddick) in January, Rotterdam (d. Rafael Nadal) in February, and the Miami Masters (d. Juan Martin Del Potro and Nadal) in March.

   

  The 22-year-old Scot did just about everything this season…except win a Grand Slam, or even reach a Grand Slam final as he did at the 2008 U.S. Open. While that had to be a major disappointment for Murray, the rest of his 2009 campaign was virtually flawless.

   

  How He Got Here

   

  2009 record: 64-10
  
  Grand Slam performances: Australian Open R4, French Open QF, Wimbledon SF, U.S. Open R4

   

  Titles: Doha, Rotterdam, Miami, Queen’s Club, Montreal, Valencia

   

  Runner-Ups: Indian Wells

   

  Key Wins

   

  Doha SF: d. Roger Federer 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-2

  Doha F: d. Andy Roddick 6-4, 6-2

  Rotterdam F: d. Rafael Nadal 6-3, 4-6, 6-0

  Indian Wells SF: d. Roger Federer 6-3, 4-6, 6-1

  Miami SF: d. Juan Martin Del Potro 6-1, 5-7, 6-2

  Miami F: d. Novak Djokovic 6-2, 7-5

  Wimbledon R4: d. Stanislas Wawrinka 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3

  Wimbledon QF: d. Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-5, 6-3, 6-2

  Montreal F: d. Juan Martin Del Potro 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-1

  Valencia F: d. Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-2

   

  Head-to-Head vs. other WTF participants

   

  vs. Roger Federer: 6-3 (6-3 on hard courts)

  vs. Rafael Nadal: 2-7 (2-4 on hard courts)

  vs. Novak Djokovic: 3-4 (3-3 on hard courts)

  vs. Juan Martin Del Potro: 4-1 (3-0 on hard courts)

  vs. Nikolay Davydenko: 5-4 (4-4 on hard courts)

  vs. Fernando Verdasco: 7-1 (6-1 on hard courts)

  vs. Robin Soderling: 2-1 (2-1 on hard courts)

   

  Outlook

   

  Murray is nowhere near the form he was in during the hard-court spring, when he was arguably the best player in the world. Still, it could be a lot worse.

   

  His only real low point of the season was the U.S. Open and its immediate aftermath—the Asian swing. After losing to Marin Cilic in a fourth-round U.S. Open stunner, Murray never went to Asia due to a minor wrist problem. He sulked through two Davis Cup wins (although Great Britain lost as a team) in mid-September, but did not play again until early November in Valencia.

   

  That’s where Murray put to rest any lingering questions about his wrist problem. He captured his tour-leading sixth title of 2009, taking out Verdasco in the semifinals and Youzhny in the final. While Murray underwhelmed a week later in Paris, at least his wrist appeared to be a non-issue. Furthermore, Murray’s three-set loss to Radek Stepanek in the third round should be partly attributed to his second-round marathon against James Blake that lasted well past midnight on the previous day.

   

  Of course, it would not be unfair to ask why the heck Murray went to a third-set tiebreaker with Blake in the first place.

   

  However, there is plenty of good news for Murray heading into London. Not only will he have the crowd behind him, but his draw looks like a favorable one. He is a combined 17-5 against his three Group A adversaries (Federer, Del Potro, and Verdasco). Del Potro is struggling mightily with an abdominal strain, Verdasco needs offseason foot surgery and is not in great form to begin with, and Murray leads his head-to-head series with Federer 6-3, all on hard courts.

   

  Needless to say, Murray is a huge favorite to advance out of round-robin play, if not to win his group outright. London fans would not be amiss to get their hopes up for a year-end championship match in which their man is featured.

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