Wawrinka, Nadal reach last 4 of ATP World Finals

But the world number five had not done his chances of defeating Djokovic any favours by engaging in a bruising marathon victory over David Ferrer in a meaningless group match just 24 hours earlier.

In the event, he did not just come to the O2 – at a time of year, and on the type of indoor hardcourt on which he has rarely excelled – but he has also conquered, starting with world No. 4 Stan Wawrinka, and then No. 2 Andy Murray, to claim successive top-four scalps for the first time since the 2011 French Open.

Murray amazingly only won one of 10 second serves in the second set, and a lowly 34% for the entire match.

Even in the resulting tie-break, it went one way and then the other. Initially, it was Wawrinka who had the greater goal and accuracy in his muscled ground strokes, and a second serve that was delivering him a staggering 80 per cent success rate.

“He might come back and win next year”.

Nadal at least avoided being broken in the opening game of the second set but the pressure was relentless and it was no surprise when Djokovic moved ahead 3-2.

The four-time champion will play for a record fourth consecutive World Tour Finals championship when he faces either six-time champion Roger Federer or fourth-seeded Stan Wawrinka in tomorrow’s final.

The all-Swiss Saturday night clash, meanwhile, will be a rematch of one of last year’s semifinals, in which Federer escaped with a narrow 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6) before having to withdraw prior to the championship match against Novak Djokovic due to a back injury.

This is their first ATP World Tour Finals meeting since “Mirka Gate” at last year’s Tour Finals where Wawrinka blew a late lead in the semifinals.

Murray, though, was particularly disappointed about his error count.

The impossible seemed possible when he had two chances to get back to 5-5 but he could not take either and his 30th unforced error was one too many. Cheap ones, as well. When somebody’s doing this, the only thing I can do is congratulate him and just wish him not the best of luck for the next year. I was up 5-3 to win the set and I did mistakes, important mistakes. “Maybe I will be exhausted, but I’m not anxious about it”, Nadal said. When asked about how long he would be keeping the beard, Federer said “If it itches too much, I’ll take it off. If my girls can’t stand it, I’ll take it off. If I look in the mirror and I don’t like it, I’ll take it off”.

Both men got, and deserved, an ovation. So I fought to make that happen.

Despite the loss, Nadal kept the positive attitude he has had all week and remains confident of a better season in 2016. A very good match in terms of quality in moments.　And I am very happy. Best-of-five slightly different. But I had a good year in slams, as well, to be quite honest, except Australia.

While Nadal was pushing his body to the limits, Djokovic was at home relaxing having finished his group campaign on Thursday and unsurprisingly there was noticeably more zip to the Serb’s groundstrokes in the first set.