Win important for my confidence – Nadal

Murray will qualify for the last four if he beats Nadal and the evening match sees any result other than a straight-set win for Stan Wawrinka. After seeing off David Ferrer in two sets on Monday [16 November] the British number one is in sight of the knock-out stage where he has not appeared since 2012. But this time around it was all Nadal.

Wawrinka will have to improve dramatically against Ferrer if he is to keep alive his hopes of emulating last year’s showing when he lost to compatriot Roger Federer in the semi-finals. I think I played a solid match. “I’m excited to play that match”.

Nadal failed to convert any of the seven break points Wawrinka offered up at the start of the second set and then had to save two himself in the next game, one with a stunning lob.

“Every day for me now is an opportunity to enjoy on court, enjoy the competition, something that I missed for moments this year”, Nadal, who fell to 10th in the rankings during a miserable summer, said.

Murray, who already boasted a career-best 68 wins this season coming into the tournament, saved a break point in the opening game and then settled into his groove. But then immediately I was playing well.

“I’ve totally, like I said, changed my schedule and the way I’ve trained over the last two months, since our last Davis Cup tie, to make sure I am fresh for this part of the season, which hasn’t always been the case”.

“Hopefully I can put it back together and get ready for the next match”. “I believe I’ve given myself the best chance to do that”. I had one bad game, the first one of the match. I think I played the way that I wanted to play. I’m very happy to start like this, that’s important for my confidence. I didn’t win enough. “So thinking about winning the tougher tournament of the year for me, because is in the worst surface possible, against the worst players possible”.

Head-to-head record: Murray 6-15 Nadal.

Held title-less in six previous appearances at the year-end championships, Nadal is still seeking his first Barclays ATP World Tour Finals crown.