'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Spanish ace Rafael Nadal upset 2nd seed Andy Murray at the pair’s match at the ATP World Tour Finals on the 18th of November, thoroughly routing the Scot 6-4, 6-1.
The pair started the match off breaking each other to win a game apiece, with Nadal the stronger player coming into the day’s play. Ahead of the match, Nadal led Murray 15 victories to 6 in the 21 times the pair have previously met.
Nadal has appeared to have a downswing of form this year, beaten on his own favourite surface – red clay – by none other than Murray, at the Madrid Masters in May of this year. The loss would have been extra painful for Nadal, who is considered the greatest clay-courter in the history of tennis.
However, he displayed his resurgent form after a straight sets victory over 4th seed Stan Wawrinka in his earlier round robin match at the World Tour Finals. Murray, Nadal, Wawrinka and Spain’s David Ferrer make up the Ilie Nastase group at the tournament, while Federer, Djokovic, Tomas Berdych and Kei Nishokori make up the Stan Smith group.
Nadal has already played Wawrinka, and defeated him soundly, dispatching the Swiss 6-3, 6-2.
But three games into the match, with Nadal leading him 2-1, a tired-looking Murray sat in his courtside chair, taking a pair of scissors and beginning to snip away. The move, which attracted stares from the crowd and assembled reporters, led many to believe World No. 2 Murray was not focussed on the World Tour Finals at all, but on the Davis Cup.
Murray and his older brother Jamie are part of the Davis Cup squad that will take on the Belgian side at the end of December; the pair put in strong performances against the Australian team in the semi-finals to ensure the British side made their first Davis Cup final in nearly 40 years.
The Scot denied the claims, however, telling reporters “I had some hair in my eye and I just wanted to get rid of it. That literally took two seconds. That was it. It was nothing to do with next week or anything to do with the outcome of this match.”
Murray will be looking to finish the year as World No. 2, something he is yet to do so far. A win would have made this very likely, but with an in-form Nadal and a flagging Murray, this will be delayed.
Watch the moment Andy Murray gave himself an impromptu haircut:
Murray will now take on his group-mate Stan Wawrinka in his final round robin match. A victory over the Swiss will mean he can still progress to the next round.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
