World No.1 Novak Djokovic moved into the Shanghai Masters final yet again, defeating Andy Murray 6-1,6-3. Their matches at Roland Garros and the Australian Open earlier in the year may have been close, but this meeting was anything but.
Djokovic set down a warning to Murray in the first game, earning love-thirty and then fifteen-forty. Murray saved though with an ace down the middle and a forehand winner, before escaping from deuce. Djokovic held to love, then got to love-thirty again against the Murray serve. Murray failed to recover, double-faulting on break point, surrendering the early lead.
Murray’s struggles continued, double faulting again to hand Djokovic two more break points in game five. Djokovic broke again when Murray’s cross court forehand went wide into the tramlines. The World no. 1 was on fire, taking fifteen of seventeen points at one stage. Djokovic held to love, before yet another repeat of the break of Murray’s serve. Once again it was the toxic combination of double-faults and forehand errors that finished Murray, with a final superb Djokovic return earning the first set.
Murray turned things around in the second set a little, earning love-thirty and finally breaking the Djokovic serve. The World no.2 seemed more purposeful, perhaps realising there was now nothing to lose, as his groundstrokes became more penetrative.
Djokovic broke back straight away with a stunning point at thirty-forty, defending many lost causes, before lobbing Murray, and hitting a drop volley from Murray’s attempted past. Djokovic then restored order, holding to love in game three, demonstrating some perfect serving, putting the Murray serve back under huge pressure.
The pressure paid off, some brilliant returns again had Murray in deep trouble, and Murray missed long in a pulsating rally. Murray then double-faulted again and Djokovic led in what looked like the final set. He held to thirty, and in a now predictable narrative, he attacked the Murray serve. Murray managed to hold from thirty, but Djokovic forced match point at five-two. Murray held courtesy of a forehand winner, a superb lob, and a rare Djokovic return miss.
It only delayed the inevitable though, Djokovic winning with a stunning backhand winner down the line on match point, denying Murray even a glimmer of chance in the final game.
The win sets up a surprising encounter against Frenchman Jo Wilfried Tsonga, who has endured an inconsistent year. The Frenchman has struggled at times this year, not playing the Australian Open, but making the semi finals of Roland Garros and the quarter finals of the US Open. Djokovic leads the head-to-head with Tsonga 13-6. Tsonga actually won their most recent meeting, last year in Canada.
Djokovic on winning “It just felt great from the very first point of the match I was playing a very high intensity… I was serving at 85% and Andy was serving very low… I wanted to step on the court and be aggressive.. I couldn’t ask for much more”
On Playing Tsonga ” He has played very well all week… he relies heavily on the serve”
