Monday, October 18, 2010

Murray succeeds in ATP Finals qualification bid

It hasn't been a great year for Scotland's Andy Murray. Always having to bear the weight of the British public's expectations on his young shoulders, Murray has been inconsistent this season and was particularly disappointing at the recent US Open at Flushing Meadows. However, there are perhaps signs that his game is looking up after he secured a place at the ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in London with a win that ensured his progression to the last eight of the Shanghai Masters.

The victory at the Shanghai Masters came at the expense of Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, who was defeated 6-3 6-4. Murray, who despite seeming to have carried the ATP odds hopes of a nation for many years now, is still just 23 years of age, will now face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Shanghai. Whilst the win was obviously important in the context of the Shanghai Masters, its wider relevance is far more crucial, with Murray well aware before the first ball was struck that he would qualify for the London tournament if he beat his opponent.

Murray's performance in extremely humid conditions provided a further sign to ATP tour betting pundits that he may yet give British tennis fans something to cheer about before the season comes to an end, with his game looking far more versatile and solid than for many months this year. The Scot seemed to have more grit and determination about his game and was hitting the ball cleanly, something that couldn't be said of some of his previous error-strewn performances this season.

The ATP World Tour Finals are scheduled to take place between the 21st and 28th of November and will show off the talents of the eight best players in singles and the eight best doubles pairings in the world based on the past season. The event proved to be extremely popular last year with Londoners and is expected to provide even more appeal this time around.

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