Three poor misses from Djokovic in that opening game. Two double faults and only one first serve from Murray in that game but still holds to 30!

I remember Federer doing the same thing a year or two ago. A very deliberate move, even if it is only a bloody chair.

Surely he's due a win over him in a big match isn't he? I guess something feels appropriate about the season ending with one final showdown between the top 2 players for the ranking.

Well he did win in their second from last encounter, which was a fairly big match.

Yep. I think Andy's only chance is to win the 1st set. And the 2nd.

Agreed. If he is able to do just that, he'd be in a pretty strong position.

Andy's comments after the Raonic match don't exactly inspire confidence that he's feeling or expecting to be at optimal fitness for tomorrow.

And against Djokovic, anything below optimal fitness is a rather large handicap. Andy's only saving grace is that it's 'only' a three-setter.

I feared this would happen. Novak's fresh as a daisy whilst both Kei and Andy are ******. Tomorrow's not going to be fun.

Does it make me a bad Murray fan if I want Novak to win so he can play Andy in the final?

Losing to Novak would be crap but beating him to take YE number 1 could be one of the highlights of his career.

If Andy was in good condition then normally I'd say yes. Given his exertions this week and Novak's relative cakewalk, I fear bakery products. Would be a rather anti-climatic way to end the year. I'll take a huge upset tonight I think. But Djokovic must have the upper hand, given the seven levels of hell his two opponents have given each other in the groups. Some credit is due for handling Raonic in two sets in his one tough encounter.

The quality of the little snippets I've seen (latter end of second and third set) is actually very high - it's just that most of the rallies end in an unforced error rather than a winner. Some brilliant rallies on huge points in the third set tie-break.

The forehand from Raonic to save the first MP was simply sublime. Amazing defence. Murray played the point perfectly.

Amazing play from Murray to save Raonic's MP, given the circumstance. No fear.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/milan-to-host-inaugural-next-gen-atp-finals

U21 ATP World Tour Finals, starting from next year.

Sounds pretty interesting! Unfortunately Kyle will be too old, would've been good to see him to take on the other young guns.

No ranking points, just prize money.

Will try to remember to do so.


Meanwhile I think somebody wanted the on-court interview, but they'd better watch the video quickly before it gets taken down for breach of copy right.

It's up already! Watching it now.

That half volley at *3-1 in the second set tie-break, oh my word.

Can't wait to watch that tie-break back on iplayer.

His ability to grind out these matches after blowing final set leads is quite unbelievable. I don't know how he does it. How often does he break right at the death, usually having just been broken serving for the match? Unfortunately today he couldn't serve it out the second time either, but still managed to do it in the tie-break despite going MP down having had 3 MPs saved. Ridiculous mental fortitude.

He's become Djokovic-esque in his refusal to lose nowadays. Nishikori, Berdych, Raonic, Isner, etc will all be able to tell you how insanely hard he is to beat.

I suspect Djokovic will win in two fairly straightforward sets tomorrow though. Energy/intensity and stamina are just so key to their matches and unfortunately Djokovic will surely have so much more after Andy's efforts this week (and the last month). I'd have fancied Nishikori's chances of beating him before this week, but rather ironically I think Andy might have exhausted him out on Weds, given Nishi's performance yesterday.

Still, no more than 370 points behind Novak at worst case with half the points to defend - Andy will surely return to #1 at some point next year if he can't retain it tomorrow.

Was out today, but followed this thread from *5-4 in the third until the end. Might have been the most agonising hour of my life. You guys are the worst.

I liked Phil's anti-jinxing after the second break-back.

It's been a year of firsts for Murray. Before 2016 he'd never won Rome. He'd never made the French Open final. He'd never won (or done particularly well) in Paris. He'd never been number one, or particularly close to it.

I hope he can end this year with another one. He's never been in the final of the WTF. He's never won it. But evidently that's not stopped him for the rest of this year. Hopefully this is the time he finally makes the final here, and better yet wins the whole thing.

Can't help but feel that this is all leading up to a big final showdown with Djokovic on Sunday with the #1 on the line. Both are miles ahead of everyone else in the rankings. Both proved it by topping their groups with 100% records. Their respective semi-finals will probably be their toughest matches yet (arguably - their opponents are probably at a similar level). I don't want to call either tie. I shall be cheering on Nishikori though. I hope Wednesday's match didn't take too much out of him.

Aren't the full matches available on BBC iplayer?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b083bzww/tennis-world-tour-finals-2016-day-6-murray-v-wawrinka

Of course you get bloody Bouncy Castle, but at least you can watch the full match. 

I assume they weren't bothering after not upping the Nishikori match. Have they finally released that one too?

Cheers for the links. I'll stick with the Castle-less highlights though I think.