ATP Finals: Stan Wawrinka beats Andy Murray to reach semis

“If I am able to keep playing like this, I think next year can be a positive year for me”.

There was always more than one good reason Murray had reservations about coming to this tournament.

Swiss star Wawrinka hopes Murray will struggle to focus with Belgium beckoning. Indeed, before the defeat to Federer, Djokovic had won 38-straight matches indoors dating back to 2012.

“My timing wasn’t there certainly the last few days”. “The way I am playing at the end of this season helps to try to start the next year with a different energy than what I started last year”.

So have many. A great warrior who has stumbled into troubled waters, then towels himself off and wades back in for another try makes for compelling viewing.

Asked yesterday how he planned to maintain his present level throughout the off-season, Nadal replied: “I don’t deserve a vacation this year”.

So winning his match against frequent Davis Cup teammate David Ferrer in two quick sets was likely his first preference.

His Swiss opponent then wobbled towards the end and almost let slip a 5-2 lead, having to save two break points when he served for the match for a second time at 5-4.

But he suffered a sudden and inexplicable loss of form, losing five straight points, all through his own mistakes, and the hangover continued into the second set.

But Murray was not quite finished and, after retrieving one of the breaks, he urged the crowd to get behind him.

Prediction: There is a strong argument to be made that Saturday’s match represents Nadal’s best chance to get a victory over his great rival this year.

Intriguingly, Murray’s support camp were not sat courtside but higher up in the stands.

In their place, arena staff members occupied two seats in an otherwise empty box.

“So I thought it would be better to have them sit a bit further away from the court”.

If all of that was running through Murray’s mind when he stepped on court on Friday evening, it was not immediately apparent in his demeanour. Obviously, that was an important point in the match.”. However, the contest will be taking place on a surface that is Nadal’s least favored and one that Djokovic has been utterly dominant on.

Beginning with Tennis news, where Stanislas Wawrinka and Rafa Nadal have reached the last 4 of the ATP World Tour Finals, following WINS over Andy Murray and David Ferrer in London on Friday.

And, it was the first time in 44 matches that Ferrer has lost after wining the first set. But even allowing for those points, and the axiom that sportsmen hate to give up a winning run, you have to wonder whether Nadal will regret the investment when he plays Novak Djokovic in the first semi-final today.

Ferrer competed in the last group match like his life depended on it, and kept Nadal out on court for 157 minutes before the more celebrated Spaniard won 6-7, 6-3, 6-4. That set the stage for a thrilling final game, with Wawrinka saving two break points before finally sealing the win.

There had been a chance the “Big Four” were going to fill out Saturday’s semifinals at the O2 Arena – until Stan Wawrinka spoiled the party, that is.