1/4/09 3:37 PM | Johan Lindahl
Andy Murray has elbowed his way towards a possible trophy shot during the approaching Australian tennis summer after beating both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer for victory at the Capitala exhibition in Abu Dhabi.
But the title meant only prestige--and a handy quarter of a million dollars--for the Scot, ranked fourth and making a run towards the elite top three and priming for the Australian Open.
Murray overcame Nadal 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 in the emirate to claim the trophy after taking out Federer in the semifinals. Murray now boasts two straight victories over Nadal after beating the Spaniard in the US Open semis.
"It's a great start to the year," said Murray, who spent a month working on fitness in Miami during December. "Both Rafa and Roger played great tennis, I'm delighted I could beat them.
"But it was a tough match and he made me run a lot. This is just the first week of the year and you do feel it in the body."
Nadal, Federer and Federer could meet again this week in the Doha ATP event, where Murray is defending the title and facing a possible semifinal with Federer, whom he has now defeated three straight times dating back to Madrid last October.
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