Britain's Andy Murray laboured to a third set tie-break victory over Spain's Fernando Verdasco at the World Tour Finals on Thursday, but it eventually proved not enough to see him into the semis.
Britain's Andy Murray laboured to a third set tie-break victory over Spain's Fernando Verdasco at the World Tour Finals on Thursday, but it eventually proved not enough to see him into the semis.
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Murray won 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3) in three hours at London's O2 Arena, but went out of the season-ending tournament by the narrowest of margins: one single game.
In the final Group A match, Juan Martin del Potro's victory over Roger Federer saw those two go through to the semi-finals.
Federer topped the group and with Del Potro and Murray's sets record tied at 5-4, Del Potro's 45-43 games won record edged out the 44-43 tally of Murray.
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| Roger Federer |
During his match, Murray converted just one of 13 break points all match as Verdasco dug in, knowing defeat meant certain elimination for him.
Meanwhile the Scottish World No 4 could have gone straight into the semi-finals had he won in two sets.
"I needed to win the match," the 22-year-old said.
"I just had to focus on winning. Then there was a very slim chance of me going out.
"It was tough. He (Verdasco) played ridiculously well on the big points in the second set, and to a certain extent in the third set, as well. Served huge.
"When he's behind in games and on break points, his second serve, which in previous matches I've been able to attack, he was even acing off that, putting me in really tough positions.
"After the first set, he played like he had nothing to lose, was hitting huge forehands, huge serves. Even when he was down break point, he was going for huge shots, as well."
Verdasco put an upbeat spin on his gritty performances at the former Millennium Dome in Greenwich.
"It's tough when you play good and you lose. But the positive thing is against the number one, four and five in the world, I was really close to winning," he said.
"I just need to improve a little bit more my tennis and maybe next year I will win these matches."
Murray won his third and fourth service games to love as he began to impose himself and eventually earned a break point at 4-4.
On the back foot, Murray kept himself in the point and eventually won it by slicing back a return, which Verdasco dumped into the net.
Serving for the game, Murray converted an advantage on the third deuce.
The second set was a tight affair, with Murray having several chances to break but failing to capitalise on them as every game went with serve.
Murray had break points twice in the first game, and another one in the fifth, but could not convert them.
The Scot served the eighth game to love then Verdasco held serve for a 5-4 lead.
The Spaniard had set point but the home favourite served well and levelled the set.
Murray had two break points in the next game but it went to deuce. He then blew the advantage twice as Madrid's world number eight held his serve.
Murray held serve to force a tie-break. Had the Briton won it, he would have been straight into the semi-finals.
Murray broke but Verdasco broke back for a 4-2 lead. Murray broke again for 4-4 but Verdasco broke back for 6-4 and set point, on which Murray double-faulted.
All 12 games of the third set went with serve, ensuring a deciding tie-break.
Murray went 4-2 ahead on a Verdasco double fault and gained a further break when the Spaniard returned into the net. The Scot finally won the match on Verdasco's serve as the Spaniard returned out.
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