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Djokovic quells Tsonga's charge

Murray outlasts Berdych; Bopanna-Bhupathi lose
Last Updated 06 November 2012, 17:07 IST

US Open champion Andy Murray withstood an early onslaught to beat Tomas Berdych in his first match on home soil since winning his maiden Grand Slam title and Novak Djokovic overcame Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as the ATP World Tour Finals began on Monday. 

Murray, greeted on court at the cavernous O2 Arena like a returning hero less than two months after beating Djokovic in Flushing Meadows epic to end Britain's 76-year wait for a male Grand Slam winnner, wore down Berdych to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.  

World number one Djokovic also had to contend with some blistering firepower from free-wheeling Frenchman Tsonga before registering a 7-6, 6-3 victory to move top of Group A.  

Djokovic and Murray will face each other in the latest installment of their rivalry on Wednesday when the winner will take a huge stride towards the semifinals of the year-ender.  

Neither had it all their own way with Murray admitting he had struggled to deal with Berdych's power.

The Scot got a rapturous reception as he walked on court but the crowd became subdued as Berdych took the opening set and threatened to seize control of the second before Murray responded to turn the match around.

Murray's inability to convert the numerous break points he engineered cost him the first set.  The Olympic champion was 15-40 ahead on Berdych's serve in the opening game and was 0-40 up in fifth but was frustrated as Berdych produced brutal attacking tennis to stay on level terms.

A spurt of 13 points out of 15 midway through the first set, including a crucial service break in the sixth game when Murray yanked a forehand low into the net, enabled fifth seed Berdych to grab the opener in 45 minutes.

Things reached crisis point for Murray at 1-1, 15-40 in the second set but his opponent let him off the hook.

At 30-40 Murray looped in a sluggish second serve and Berdych's eyes lit up as he lined up to club away an inviting forehand. The 27-year-old Czech could hardly believe it when he missed the court by the width of a ball.

"The match slipped out a little bit (after that)," Berdych told reporters. "That was the biggest moment. That was a pretty good chance but it didn't happen,’’ he added.

Djokovic admitted he was second-best during the first set against Tsonga when he saved break points at 3-3 and 5-5 and never threatened the Frenchman's delivery.  

However, the Serb, guaranteed to end the year as No 1 for the second time in a row, showed his usual doggedness to hang on before an immaculate tiebreak sealed the opening set and Tsonga's resistance quickly crumbled.  

"To be honest, he was the better player throughout the first set," Djokovic told reporters. "I managed to stay mentally tough and fight my way through,’’ he added.

Bhupathi-Bopanna falter

The Indian pair of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna squandered two match points before losing its first match of the World Tour Finals against Jonathan Marray and Frederik Nielsen on Tuesday.

The Indians, making their debut as a pair in the elite season-ending event, lost their Group B match 4-6, 7-6(1), 10-12 against the British-Denmark combination in one hour and 36 minutes.

Bhupathi and Bopanna are coming into the tournament after winning the Paris Masters last week. The fifth seed Indian pair will now have to win the last two Group B matches to keep themselves in the semifinal hunt.

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(Published 06 November 2012, 17:07 IST)

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