World Tennis Championship, Abu Dhabi:
Final latest:
A Murray (GB) * v R Nadal (Spa)
3-2
* denotes server
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606: DEBATE
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By Piers Newbery
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1343: "Murray will win the boat race as well if he continues like this."
From Phil in Dumbarton via text on 81111
Murray 3-2 Nadal
Another sniff of a break for Murray at 15-30 but he fails to put away a waist-high, mid-court, backhand and a fine drop shot helps keep Nadal in touch. And can I send my commiserations to Laura (see 1334), who is apparently chilly while watching the action in Abu Dhabi. I went across the road two hours ago for lunch and I still can't feel my feet.
Murray 3-1 Nadal
Murray is going to have a hard time keeping expectation levels down ahead of the Aussie Open if he carries on like this. That was a very solid service game. I would like to begin the 2009 overhyping now by tipping him for Wimbledon, Sports Personality and a knighthood.
1334: My friend Laura is in the crowd and has her face painted as the Scottish flag despite being English. Allowed? She also texted to say it's "freezing". Erm ...
From Jamie, Stoke Newington, via text on 81111
Murray 2-1 Nadal
Murray earns the first break point of the day but sends a loose forehand over the baseline. The pair then play a fabulous rally that Nadal looks to have taken with a drop shot, but Murray gets it back and the Spaniard floats a poor volley wide of the open court. Nadal saves a second break point with a big serve, but Murray gets the break with a magnificent cross-court backhand winner on the run. Brilliant stuff.
(And I think I speak for everyone, Invisiblecities [below], when I say that you have annoyed us all a great deal)
1327: "Wonder if Rafa will be sporting the sleeved shirt today. Just to be annoying i'm actually following this match from my sunbed in Mauritius, it's a cool 25 degrees here with a lovely breeze swirling in off the indian ocean : )"
From Invisiblecities on 606
1326: "It would be great for murray to beat them both in consecutive games. it would be the first time i think and would put murray up there."
From Jase, Kingsbury, via text on 81111
Murray 1-1 Nadal
Nadal has started much the better and opens the second game with a thumping cross-court backhand winner, which seems to wake Murray up. He starts to step in and shorten the points, coming through to 15 with an angled ace to Nadal's backhand side.
Murray 0-1 Nadal
Nadal gets off the mark with a love service game as Murray unusually fails to make a return of any note. The Spaniard takes the game with an ace down the middle that Murray challenges, unsuccessfully.
1315: Rafa is sporting his new gear again today, mainly white with a chunk of yellow and a dash of blue. Murray is resplendent in an all-white outfit. And I'm wearing a beefeater's costume. Not really.
1310: After yesterday's scorcher in Abu Dhabi it's a lowly 20 degrees and a bit blustery today. Sympathy is in short supply in London though. The crowd are certainly up for it, with some hearty screaming heralding the start of the knock-up.
1306: "Murray is gonna win this in two sets. Murray is actually now physically as good as Nadal. Add to that his better tennis ability."
From andrewmg86 on 606
1303: "Rafa will beat Murray easily.That can not be even a match."
From chandraiah on 606
1257: Nadal gave everyone a scare at the end of last season when he was sidelined with a knee injury and there are plenty of people who believe the Spaniard's body will not stand up long-term to the punishment it takes. However, this week he insisted: "The knee is perfect." So there you go.
1255: So, to the stats - the pair have met six times, with Nadal winning the first five before Murray memorably stopped the rot in four sets at the US Open in September.
Nadal, 22, has a career win/loss record of 335/77 and has won a grand total of US$20,757,647. Murray, 21, is on 115 wins and 65 losses, and has won a paltry US$5,499,434 in his three-year career. Hope he's got a tracker mortgage.
1250: Good afternoon and welcome to the final of the World Tennis Championship. That's right, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal are about to slug it out for the world title.
Well, maybe not, but the overblown title of this exhibition event does have a certain ring of truth about it today as we are going to see the world number one take on the most in-form player in the world. Not bad for January 3rd.
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