Seldom has so much been riding on the final week of the regular ATP World Tour season. The stakes at this week’s BNP Paribas Masters in Paris-Bercy, have never been higher. Riding a 15-match winning streak, Andy Murray could overtake Novak Djokovic as World No. 1. But the margins are so thin that Djokovic has the opportunity to clinch the coveted year-end No. 1 Emirates ATP Ranking for the third consecutive year. And this is for certain: The final ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event of the year will determine the last two spots at the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Murray, who has spent 76 weeks at No. 2 since first reaching the mark in 2009, can finally...
Andy Murray turned the battle for No. 1 blazing hot on Sunday with his 6-3, 7-6(6) Erste Bank Open 500 title victory against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Vienna. The Scot now trails World No. 1 Novak Djokovic by just 415 points in the Emirates ATP Race To London heading into the final week of the ATP World Tour regular season. With 1,000 points up for grabs at the BNP Paribas Masters this week, Murray could surpass the Serbian if he wins the Paris title and Djokovic does not reach the final. But Djokovic controls his fate. If he reaches the final, he'll remain No. 1. Reaching No. 1 would be a historic achievement for Murray, who, on Monday, will have spent...
Andy Murray is now six wins and a Novak Djokovic loss away from achieving a lifelong dream of reaching No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. The Scot reached the Erste Bank Open 500 final on Saturday in Vienna because of a walkover from David Ferrer, who didn't play due to a muscle injury in his left leg. The 34-year-old Spaniard had spent two hours and 33 minutes beating Viktor Troicki on Friday. “It was impossible,” Ferrer said of playing on Saturday. “I am disappointed but I have to be positive and will be ready for next season.” Ferrer had conceded a walkover only one other time in an ATP World Tour tournament. In 2009, the Spaniard withdrew from his...
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga mounted a stunning comeback on Saturday at the Erste Bank Open 500, clawing from a set and a break deficit against Ivo Karlovic to reach his second Vienna final. Tsonga set a final clash against top seed Andy Murray after saving one match point to prevail in a 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(6) thriller. Karlovic held four break points to take a double break lead in the second set and led by a mini-break twice in the deciding tie-break, but Tsonga would flip the script in reaching his 23rd ATP World Tour final. The sixth seed is set to square off against Murray in the title match between two former Vienna champions, after David Ferrer was forced to withdraw ahead...