Andy Murray loses to Nadal

The Swiss had been heavily criticised for his performance against Nadal on Monday but he showed his fighting spirit to recover from 2-5 in the opening set against David Ferrer and win 7-5 6-2.

At a press conference after the match, the British player said Nadal participates in the major championships and is always among the favourites.

Wawrinka kept his hopes of advancing alive with a fourth straight victory over Ferrer, who at 33 is the second oldest player in the field to the 34-year-old Federer. It was world no. 5’s 60th match win of the year.

“From the middle till the end of the second set, he played extremely well”, Murray said.

“I think it wouldn’t be fair for myself and it would be a little bit pretentious or arrogant if I say, yes, I’m in another league”.

Wawrinka broke serve for a third straight time in the opening game of the second set and quickly pulled away – winning seven consecutive matches.

“Obviously I lost comfortably to Rafa today and I could play him in a couple days’ time and it could be a different story”.

Murray and Nadal traded breaks to open the match, and then Nadal held to make it 2-1. Although I got broke in the second game, it was a good game.

On Nadal’s upturn in form, Djokovic added: “He’s been raising his level ever since the US Open, I think”. Nadal was moving Murray around the court as he has done in the past and it made for a few thrilling rallies in the opener.

He’s having an unbelievable year, No2 in the world, so risky indoors, especially at home.

Wawrinka had won the last three meetings including their only previous clash at the season-ending tour finals in 2013 but suffered a harrowing defeat against Nadal in his first match of the tournament.

While the incident captured the attention of the modern media cycle, Murray correctly pointed out that of far more relevance to the defeat was a first-serve percentage which stood at just 43%.

Meanwhile, Leon Smith, the Great Britain Davis Cup captain, has shrugged off concerns about Andy Murray’s preparation so long as the World No 2 gets off court at the o2 in one piece.

Davis Cup captain Leon Smith will use the weekend agonising over who can best back-up Murray in the singles.

With Nadal already through to the last four, and his Spaniard compatriot Ferrer out of the tournament, it comes to down to the Murray-Wawrinka match to decide the other semi-finalist from the group.

In the Stan Smith group, Roger Federer won both his matches to clinch a spot in the semifinals.