Andy&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;saw off giant-killer Sam Querrey on Friday as he ramped up his bid for a first Australian Open title after the shock departure of six-time champion Novak Djokovic.

On a cool day in Melbourne, the men&#39;s number one and women&#39;s top seed Angelique Kerber both hit a hot patch of form as the final rounds beckoned.

Murray&nbsp;will have watched from the sidelines as second seed Djokovic, his conqueror in four Melbourne finals, suffered a stunning defeat to 117th-ranked Denis Istomin on Thursday.

Querrey also upset Djokovic at Wimbledon last year but&nbsp;Murray, made a knight in Britain&#39;s New Year honours, never looked like slipping on any banana skins in round three.

He put Querrey away 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in just under two hours, winning 77 percent of points on his first serve and facing only three break points in a clinical display.

The Scot also showed no signs of discomfort in his right ankle, after he rolled it painfully during his second-round win over Andrey Rublev.

&quot;I felt better and better as the match went on in terms of my movement,&quot; he said. &quot;The ankle was a little sore and I was a little tentative at the start but it got better and better through the match.&quot;

Murray bats for Djokovic

Andy&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;on Friday downplayed Novak Djokovic&#39;s shock exit from the Australian Open and said it was &quot;unreasonable&quot; to expect to the Serb to maintain his dominance long-term.

The top seed was as surprised as anyone by Djokovic&#39;s defeat to 117th-ranked Denis Istomin in the second round, but he dismissed suggestions his rival was &quot;struggling&quot;.

&quot;I mean, struggling by the highest standards,&quot;&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;said, after he beat Sam Querrey&nbsp;6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the fourth round.

Next up for&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;is an assignment with Mischa Zverev, the elder brother of highly-rated German teen Alexander who came through in four sets against Tunisia&#39;s Malek Jaziri.

The winner of that meeting will play either Roger Federer or Tomas Berdych, the old Grand Slam rivals who play the night match on Rod Laver Arena later.

Stan through to next round

Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, survived a four-set tussle with Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) and now faces Italy&#39;s Andreas Seppi, who ousted Steve Darcis of Belgium.

Former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also came through in four sets against American Jack Sock and will play Briton Dan Evans, who beat Australia&#39;s Bernard Tomic 7-5, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3).

In the women&#39;s draw, Kerber finally got into her stride with a 6-0, 6-4 destruction of Kristyna Pliskova, the 58th-ranked twin sister of Czech fifth seed Karolina.

The German defending champion was an early loser at both of her warm-up tournaments and was taken to three sets in unconvincing wins in round one and two.

But Kerber clicked into gear against Pliskova, winning in just 55 minutes to set up a last-16 clash with America&#39;s Coco Vandeweghe, who ousted Canadian starlet Eugenie Bouchard.

&quot;I&#39;m looking forward to the next one. Yeah, I think that I find my rhythm to the tournament now,&quot; Kerber said.

Svetlana Kuznetsova outlasted fellow veteran Jelena Jankovic&nbsp;6-4, 5-7, 9-7 and will next play fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Venus Williams beat Duan Yingying 6-1, 6-0 to end Chinese involvement, earning a fourth-round match against German qualifier Mona Barthel, who overcame Australia&#39;s Ashleigh Barty in three sets.&nbsp;

(AFP)

In the women's section, defending champion Angelique Kerber finally came into her own as she beat Kristyna Pliskova in straight sets

Andy Murray saw off giant-killer Sam Querrey on Friday as he ramped up his bid for a first Australian Open title after the shock departure of six-time champion Novak Djokovic. On a cool day in Melbourne, the men's number one and women's top seed Angelique Kerber both hit a hot patch of form as the final rounds beckoned. Murray will have watched from the sidelines as second seed Djokovic, his conqueror in four Melbourne finals, suffered a stunning defeat to 117th-ranked Denis Istomin on Thursday. Querrey also upset Djokovic at Wimbledon last year but Murray, made a knight in Britain's New Year honours, never looked like slipping on any banana skins in round three. He put Querrey away 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in just under two hours, winning 77 percent of points on his first serve and facing only three break points in a clinical display. The Scot also showed no signs of discomfort in his right ankle, after he rolled it painfully during his second-round win over Andrey Rublev. "I felt better and better as the match went on in terms of my movement," he said. "The ankle was a little sore and I was a little tentative at the start but it got better and better through the match." Murray bats for Djokovic Andy Murray on Friday downplayed Novak Djokovic's shock exit from the Australian Open and said it was "unreasonable" to expect to the Serb to maintain his dominance long-term. The top seed was as surprised as anyone by Djokovic's defeat to 117th-ranked Denis Istomin in the second round, but he dismissed suggestions his rival was "struggling". "I mean, struggling by the highest standards," Murray said, after he beat Sam Querrey 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the fourth round. Next up for Murray is an assignment with Mischa Zverev, the elder brother of highly-rated German teen Alexander who came through in four sets against Tunisia's Malek Jaziri. The winner of that meeting will play either Roger Federer or Tomas Berdych, the old Grand Slam rivals who play the night match on Rod Laver Arena later. Stan through to next round Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, survived a four-set tussle with Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) and now faces Italy's Andreas Seppi, who ousted Steve Darcis of Belgium. Former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also came through in four sets against American Jack Sock and will play Briton Dan Evans, who beat Australia's Bernard Tomic 7-5, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3). In the women's draw, Kerber finally got into her stride with a 6-0, 6-4 destruction of Kristyna Pliskova, the 58th-ranked twin sister of Czech fifth seed Karolina. The German defending champion was an early loser at both of her warm-up tournaments and was taken to three sets in unconvincing wins in round one and two. But Kerber clicked into gear against Pliskova, winning in just 55 minutes to set up a last-16 clash with America's Coco Vandeweghe, who ousted Canadian starlet Eugenie Bouchard. "I'm looking forward to the next one. Yeah, I think that I find my rhythm to the tournament now," Kerber said. Svetlana Kuznetsova outlasted fellow veteran Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 5-7, 9-7 and will next play fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Venus Williams beat Duan Yingying 6-1, 6-0 to end Chinese involvement, earning a fourth-round match against German qualifier Mona Barthel, who overcame Australia's Ashleigh Barty in three sets. (AFP)

Australian Open: Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka march on to Round 4

Andy Murray has committed to compete in the Aegon Championships at The Queen&rsquo;s Club for the rest of his career, officials said on Wednesday.

The Wimbledon warm-up tournament has proved to be Murray&#39;s most successful hunting ground, as he has hoisted the super-sized silver cup a record five times.

Last year his Queen&#39;s Club triumph sparked off a season to remember for the Scot, who won a second Wimbledon title and a second Olympic gold medal before finishing as world number one.

&quot;I&rsquo;ve always loved playing the event and I&rsquo;m really happy to know that I will play at Queen&rsquo;s for as long as my career lasts,&rdquo; said the 29-year-old Murray.

&ldquo;My first ATP World Tour match win came at Queen&rsquo;s in 2005, so for it to become by far the most successful tournament of my career is a great feeling.

&quot;Looking at the names that have won the tournament four times - some of the best players ever - winning it five times means a lot to me.&rdquo;

The tournament is expanding its Centre Court capacity by 30 percent from June. More than 2,000 additional seats will be added to the current 6,942, taking capacity to more than 9,000.&nbsp;

&ldquo;To know that Andy will play at The Queen&rsquo;s Club for the rest of his career... is a huge boost in what is an exciting and important year for the Aegon Championships with our stadium capacity increasing by 30 percent,&quot; Aegon Championships tournament director Stephen Farrow said.

&quot;Last year, we celebrated our four-time winners Roy Emerson, John McEnroe, Boris Becker and Lleyton Hewitt.

&quot;This year, and for many years to come, Andy Murray will return as our greatest champion in front of more people than ever before. We couldn&rsquo;t be happier.&rdquo;

This year&#39;s tournament takes place from June 19-25.

(Reuters)

Murray has enjoyed a successful run in the Aegon Championships, hoisting the silver cup a record five times

Andy Murray has committed to compete in the Aegon Championships at The Queen’s Club for the rest of his career, officials said on Wednesday. The Wimbledon warm-up tournament has proved to be Murray's most successful hunting ground, as he has hoisted the super-sized silver cup a record five times. Last year his Queen's Club triumph sparked off a season to remember for the Scot, who won a second Wimbledon title and a second Olympic gold medal before finishing as world number one. "I’ve always loved playing the event and I’m really happy to know that I will play at Queen’s for as long as my career lasts,” said the 29-year-old Murray. “My first ATP World Tour match win came at Queen’s in 2005, so for it to become by far the most successful tournament of my career is a great feeling. "Looking at the names that have won the tournament four times - some of the best players ever - winning it five times means a lot to me.” The tournament is expanding its Centre Court capacity by 30 percent from June. More than 2,000 additional seats will be added to the current 6,942, taking capacity to more than 9,000. “To know that Andy will play at The Queen’s Club for the rest of his career... is a huge boost in what is an exciting and important year for the Aegon Championships with our stadium capacity increasing by 30 percent," Aegon Championships tournament director Stephen Farrow said. "Last year, we celebrated our four-time winners Roy Emerson, John McEnroe, Boris Becker and Lleyton Hewitt. "This year, and for many years to come, Andy Murray will return as our greatest champion in front of more people than ever before. We couldn’t be happier.” This year's tournament takes place from June 19-25. (Reuters)

Murray makes lifetime commitment to Queen's Club

Tennis star Rafael Nadal said the emergence of a new generation is just what tennis needs, while welcoming back old foe Roger Federer to help him keep them at bay.

The Spanish great, a 14-time Grand Slam champion, is on the comeback trail after his 2016 season was ruined by a wrist problem which has seen him slip to nine in the world.&nbsp;Swiss great Federer is also easing his way back after six months out with a knee injury, with both of them keen to return to winning ways at the big tournaments.

They will have their work cut out at the opening Grand Slam of the year at Melbourne Park next week with not just Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic to contend with but an emerging new breed.&nbsp;Leading the pack are the likes of Austria&#39;s Dominic Thiem, Germany&#39;s Alex Zverev and Australia&#39;s Nick Kyrgios.

Nadal, 30, said it was good for the game to see younger players starting to make their mark.&nbsp;&quot;These guys are doing well,&quot; he said in The Australian newspaper.

&quot;It&#39;s great to have a new generation of fantastic players there and that&#39;s good for tennis. Tennis needs it. People sometimes get bored to see the same players all the time.&quot;

While excited by the young guns, Nadal is not yet ready to hand over the baton, believing he can still compete at the top level despite the last of his major titles coming at the French Open in 2014. The Spanish star&nbsp;he is pleased to see Federer, 35, also back in the fold and playing well.

&quot;The good thing is that Roger is back on tour after probably his first important injury,&quot; Nadal said.&nbsp;&quot;That`s tough but he looks great. He`s played some good matches there in Perth at the Hopman Cup&nbsp;so I&#39;m very happy for him.&quot;

After opening his season in Doha for seven of the past eight years, Nadal instead opted this year to begin at the Brisbane International in a bid to better adapt to Australian conditions.&nbsp;But he lost in the quarter-finals last week to big-serving Milos Raonic.

Nadal admitted he may not hit his best form until later in the year.&nbsp;&quot;I think that I had a great off-season so I am excited about these next few months,&quot; he said.

&quot;You cannot say something about how Roger is, how I am, in just two weeks.&nbsp;In Melbourne anything could happen, but I give myself a little bit more time, three months, and after Miami, let&#39;s see how I am,&quot; he added, referring to the Miami Open.

(AFP)

Tennis star Rafael Nadal said it was good for the game to see younger players starting to make their mark

Tennis star Rafael Nadal said the emergence of a new generation is just what tennis needs, while welcoming back old foe Roger Federer to help him keep them at bay. The Spanish great, a 14-time Grand Slam champion, is on the comeback trail after his 2016 season was ruined by a wrist problem which has seen him slip to nine in the world. Swiss great Federer is also easing his way back after six months out with a knee injury, with both of them keen to return to winning ways at the big tournaments. They will have their work cut out at the opening Grand Slam of the year at Melbourne Park next week with not just Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic to contend with but an emerging new breed. Leading the pack are the likes of Austria's Dominic Thiem, Germany's Alex Zverev and Australia's Nick Kyrgios. Nadal, 30, said it was good for the game to see younger players starting to make their mark. "These guys are doing well," he said in The Australian newspaper. "It's great to have a new generation of fantastic players there and that's good for tennis. Tennis needs it. People sometimes get bored to see the same players all the time." While excited by the young guns, Nadal is not yet ready to hand over the baton, believing he can still compete at the top level despite the last of his major titles coming at the French Open in 2014. The Spanish star he is pleased to see Federer, 35, also back in the fold and playing well. "The good thing is that Roger is back on tour after probably his first important injury," Nadal said. "That`s tough but he looks great. He`s played some good matches there in Perth at the Hopman Cup so I'm very happy for him." After opening his season in Doha for seven of the past eight years, Nadal instead opted this year to begin at the Brisbane International in a bid to better adapt to Australian conditions. But he lost in the quarter-finals last week to big-serving Milos Raonic. Nadal admitted he may not hit his best form until later in the year. "I think that I had a great off-season so I am excited about these next few months," he said. "You cannot say something about how Roger is, how I am, in just two weeks. In Melbourne anything could happen, but I give myself a little bit more time, three months, and after Miami, let's see how I am," he added, referring to the Miami Open. (AFP)

New generation players good for tennis: Nadal

Wimbledon champion Andy&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;and Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah will each receive a knighthood in the New Year Honours.

Murray&#39;s knighthood caps a dream season for the Scot, who finished as the year-end world number one for the first time after ending Novak Djokovic&#39;s long spell at the top.

The 29-year-old clinched a second Wimbledon title in July before successfully defending his Olympic singles crown and then winning a first ATP Tour Finals crown to stop Djokovic regaining first place.

Murray, previously honoured with an OBE in 2012, became a father for the first time in February and earlier this month was voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for a record third time.

&quot;Obviously it is the highest honour you can get in this country. But I feel like I&#39;m too young for something like that,&quot; said&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;before the announcement was made on Friday.

&quot;When I win any award or am presented with anything it is nice because it is recognition for what you have given your life to -- up to now anyway.&nbsp;

&quot;I am still young and there are still a lot of things that can go wrong. I could still mess up and make mistakes. I am just trying to keep doing what I am doing, working hard and achieving stuff.&quot;

Farah receives his knighthood after he retained his 5,000 and 10,000 metres titles at the Rio Olympics, becoming the first British track and field athlete to win four Olympic gold medals.

The 33-year-old Somalia-born athlete is already a CBE following his double gold at London 2012.

&quot;I&#39;m so happy to be awarded this incredible honour from the country that has been my home since I moved here at the age of eight,&quot; Farah said.

&quot;Looking back at the boy who arrived here from Somalia, not speaking any English, I could never have imagined where I would be today. It&#39;s a dream come true.

&quot;I&#39;m so proud to have had the opportunity to race for my country and win gold medals for the British people, who have been my biggest supporters throughout my career.

&quot;My successes have only been possible because of their support and the commitment, sacrifices and love of my amazing family and the team around me now and over the years.&quot;

Para-equestrian Lee Pearson is also knighted after adding gold from the Individual Freestyle grade Ib and silver in Dressage to his golds in Beijing and London.

The decorated Paralympian already held the MBE, OBE and CBE for services to equestrianism and to disabled sport.

Damehoods go to heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill and rower Katherine Grainger, who both retired from competitive action following the 2016 Rio Games.

Ennis-Hill, who had returned to compete in Rio after becoming a mother, has been made a Dame for services to athletics.

The 30-year-old from Sheffield added silver at the 2016 Games to her gold at London, and was already a CBE.

Grainger receives her damehood for services to sport and charity, the veteran rower having come out of retirement to compete in Rio, where she won silver in the double sculls alongside Vicky Thornley.

(AFP)

The three athletes got the New Year honours for having sustained their excellent performances over the years

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray and Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah will each receive a knighthood in the New Year Honours. Murray's knighthood caps a dream season for the Scot, who finished as the year-end world number one for the first time after ending Novak Djokovic's long spell at the top. The 29-year-old clinched a second Wimbledon title in July before successfully defending his Olympic singles crown and then winning a first ATP Tour Finals crown to stop Djokovic regaining first place. Murray, previously honoured with an OBE in 2012, became a father for the first time in February and earlier this month was voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for a record third time. "Obviously it is the highest honour you can get in this country. But I feel like I'm too young for something like that," said Murray before the announcement was made on Friday. "When I win any award or am presented with anything it is nice because it is recognition for what you have given your life to -- up to now anyway. "I am still young and there are still a lot of things that can go wrong. I could still mess up and make mistakes. I am just trying to keep doing what I am doing, working hard and achieving stuff." Farah receives his knighthood after he retained his 5,000 and 10,000 metres titles at the Rio Olympics, becoming the first British track and field athlete to win four Olympic gold medals. The 33-year-old Somalia-born athlete is already a CBE following his double gold at London 2012. "I'm so happy to be awarded this incredible honour from the country that has been my home since I moved here at the age of eight," Farah said. "Looking back at the boy who arrived here from Somalia, not speaking any English, I could never have imagined where I would be today. It's a dream come true. "I'm so proud to have had the opportunity to race for my country and win gold medals for the British people, who have been my biggest supporters throughout my career. "My successes have only been possible because of their support and the commitment, sacrifices and love of my amazing family and the team around me now and over the years." Para-equestrian Lee Pearson is also knighted after adding gold from the Individual Freestyle grade Ib and silver in Dressage to his golds in Beijing and London. The decorated Paralympian already held the MBE, OBE and CBE for services to equestrianism and to disabled sport. Damehoods go to heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill and rower Katherine Grainger, who both retired from competitive action following the 2016 Rio Games. Ennis-Hill, who had returned to compete in Rio after becoming a mother, has been made a Dame for services to athletics. The 30-year-old from Sheffield added silver at the 2016 Games to her gold at London, and was already a CBE. Grainger receives her damehood for services to sport and charity, the veteran rower having come out of retirement to compete in Rio, where she won silver in the double sculls alongside Vicky Thornley. (AFP)

Andy Murray, Mo Farah receive knighthood, Ennis-Hill made a dame

Roger Federer whipping a forehand down-the-line off Pete Sampras&#39; famous serve during Wimbledon 2001 and sinking to the ground in jubilation will go down as a momentous occasion in tennis folklore for more reasons than one. Even though it took the Swiss a couple of years after that to consolidate his big arrival, the world knew only too well that the game&#39;s next grand daddy was here.

From 2004 to 2007, Federer showcased a type of dominance similar to the one achieved by the great Rod Laver in the 1960s. Notching up a staggering 11 Grand Slams through that period of four years, the genius from Basel was arguably the greatest active sportsperson at that time.

However, for all his success on grass and hard courts, Federer was never quite able to stamp his authority on clay. And the reason for that, of course, was tennis&#39; next big thing Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard&#39;s victories in nine out of the ten French Opens from 2005 to 2014 is testament to his supremacy on the slow, dusty surface. The passing of the baton from Federer to Nadal, though, happened after the latter&#39;s victory in the 2008 Wimbledon final, probably the greatest match in tennis history.

From that year on, through to 2010, the Mallorcan won six Majors and an Olympic singles Gold medal, along with ending Federer&#39;s record four-and-a-half year reign at the top of the rankings.

A physically brutal game, leading to a damning knee injury, spelt doom for Nadal&#39;s stay at the top of the rankings. And that paved the way for Novak Djokovic to take centre-stage. The Serbian had already made a mark by winning the Australian Open in 2008, but 2011 was the year when he truly came into his own. Winning all the Grand Slams, apart from the French Open, Djokovic stitched together an astonishing 41-match winning streak at the beginning of the season.

In the years to come, the Serb raced to the top of the rankings, stocking up a tally of 12 Majors, and opened up a sizable gap between him and the rest of the field. What he also did was establish himself as the single dominant force in the, now prevalent, &#39;Big Four&#39; of the men&#39;s game.

This was possible partly because of the fact that, up until then, the fourth wheel of this club hadn&#39;t really done much to stake his claim at the top in the first place.

Andy Murray, who was born a week before Djokovic, came on to the stage with the hopes of an entire nation riding on his shoulders. Great Britain hadn&#39;t seen a Grand Slam champion since Fred Perry in 1936, but had seen enough potential in Murray to pin all their hopes on him. But their expectations weren&#39;t matched until Murray&#39;s 100th career Grand Slam match, when he finally broke through the shackles and laid his hands on the US Open trophy in 2012. The Scot backed that up with a memorable Wimbledon triumph in 2013, followed by an Olympic Gold medal on the same hallowed grass the next month.

However, those victories proved to be a flash in the pan as Murray failed to win a single Major for the next three years. Having turned pro in 2005, he spent the better part of his career living in the shadows of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. No one ever doubted his abilities, but the results never matched up to the talent. Was it the simple case of Murray&#39;s peers being better than him, or was his infamous temperament getting the better of him?

The year 2016, though, has finally given real hope to his supporters. After bulldozing through the first half of the season, Djokovic&#39;s form took a sudden turn for the worst during Wimbledon where he was blasted off the court by American Sam Querry, paving the way for Murray to claim his second All England title. The Brit carried that form through to Rio, where he became the first tennis player, male of female, to win a second Olympic singles Gold medal. As of today, Murray is sitting on an unbeaten 24-match winning streak, after his victories in the Shanghai Masters, Paris Masters and the year-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London.

Murray&#39;s domination of Djokovic in Sunday&#39;s ATP Finals is hugely significant. The two right-handers, having grown up playing together in the junior circuit, share one of modern tennis&#39; biggest rivalries, albeit, one-sided. The duo have contested 35 times in their careers and the Serbian leads the head-to-head by 24-11. Be it the ATP 1000 Masters or the Grand Slams, Djokovic has largely had the measure of Murray. Sunday&#39;s lop-sided result, thus, could be an important mental victory for the Scot and a sign of things to come.

If one glances through the annals, one will find that most great players, including, Federer, have sustained sudden, inexplicable falls from sovereignty. Just when you start believing that they&#39;re untouchable, something snaps. Is it Djokovic&#39;s turn now?

&quot;If you had told me six months ago that this would even be an issue, I would have said you&#39;re crazy,&quot; American legend John McEnroe said of Djokovic&#39;s sudden vulnerability to BBC.

With Federer making a comeback in 2017 after sitting out the second half of this season with an injury, Nadal struggling to find lost form since returning from injury, young guns like Milos Raonic and Dominic Thiem not quite arriving yet, and Djokovic&#39;s career entering an uncharted territory, now is the time for Murray&#39;s era to finally arrive.

(This articlle first appeared on DNA)

A glance through the past decade-and-a-half of men's tennis' power game

Roger Federer whipping a forehand down-the-line off Pete Sampras' famous serve during Wimbledon 2001 and sinking to the ground in jubilation will go down as a momentous occasion in tennis folklore for more reasons than one. Even though it took the Swiss a couple of years after that to consolidate his big arrival, the world knew only too well that the game's next grand daddy was here. From 2004 to 2007, Federer showcased a type of dominance similar to the one achieved by the great Rod Laver in the 1960s. Notching up a staggering 11 Grand Slams through that period of four years, the genius from Basel was arguably the greatest active sportsperson at that time. However, for all his success on grass and hard courts, Federer was never quite able to stamp his authority on clay. And the reason for that, of course, was tennis' next big thing Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard's victories in nine out of the ten French Opens from 2005 to 2014 is testament to his supremacy on the slow, dusty surface. The passing of the baton from Federer to Nadal, though, happened after the latter's victory in the 2008 Wimbledon final, probably the greatest match in tennis history. From that year on, through to 2010, the Mallorcan won six Majors and an Olympic singles Gold medal, along with ending Federer's record four-and-a-half year reign at the top of the rankings. A physically brutal game, leading to a damning knee injury, spelt doom for Nadal's stay at the top of the rankings. And that paved the way for Novak Djokovic to take centre-stage. The Serbian had already made a mark by winning the Australian Open in 2008, but 2011 was the year when he truly came into his own. Winning all the Grand Slams, apart from the French Open, Djokovic stitched together an astonishing 41-match winning streak at the beginning of the season. In the years to come, the Serb raced to the top of the rankings, stocking up a tally of 12 Majors, and opened up a sizable gap between him and the rest of the field. What he also did was establish himself as the single dominant force in the, now prevalent, 'Big Four' of the men's game. This was possible partly because of the fact that, up until then, the fourth wheel of this club hadn't really done much to stake his claim at the top in the first place. Andy Murray, who was born a week before Djokovic, came on to the stage with the hopes of an entire nation riding on his shoulders. Great Britain hadn't seen a Grand Slam champion since Fred Perry in 1936, but had seen enough potential in Murray to pin all their hopes on him. But their expectations weren't matched until Murray's 100th career Grand Slam match, when he finally broke through the shackles and laid his hands on the US Open trophy in 2012. The Scot backed that up with a memorable Wimbledon triumph in 2013, followed by an Olympic Gold medal on the same hallowed grass the next month. However, those victories proved to be a flash in the pan as Murray failed to win a single Major for the next three years. Having turned pro in 2005, he spent the better part of his career living in the shadows of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. No one ever doubted his abilities, but the results never matched up to the talent. Was it the simple case of Murray's peers being better than him, or was his infamous temperament getting the better of him? The year 2016, though, has finally given real hope to his supporters. After bulldozing through the first half of the season, Djokovic's form took a sudden turn for the worst during Wimbledon where he was blasted off the court by American Sam Querry, paving the way for Murray to claim his second All England title. The Brit carried that form through to Rio, where he became the first tennis player, male of female, to win a second Olympic singles Gold medal. As of today, Murray is sitting on an unbeaten 24-match winning streak, after his victories in the Shanghai Masters, Paris Masters and the year-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London. Murray's domination of Djokovic in Sunday's ATP Finals is hugely significant. The two right-handers, having grown up playing together in the junior circuit, share one of modern tennis' biggest rivalries, albeit, one-sided. The duo have contested 35 times in their careers and the Serbian leads the head-to-head by 24-11. Be it the ATP 1000 Masters or the Grand Slams, Djokovic has largely had the measure of Murray. Sunday's lop-sided result, thus, could be an important mental victory for the Scot and a sign of things to come. If one glances through the annals, one will find that most great players, including, Federer, have sustained sudden, inexplicable falls from sovereignty. Just when you start believing that they're untouchable, something snaps. Is it Djokovic's turn now? "If you had told me six months ago that this would even be an issue, I would have said you're crazy," American legend John McEnroe said of Djokovic's sudden vulnerability to BBC. With Federer making a comeback in 2017 after sitting out the second half of this season with an injury, Nadal struggling to find lost form since returning from injury, young guns like Milos Raonic and Dominic Thiem not quite arriving yet, and Djokovic's career entering an uncharted territory, now is the time for Murray's era to finally arrive. (This articlle first appeared on DNA)

After Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, has Andy Murray's time finally come?

Andy Murray has beaten Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4 to win the ATP World Tour Finals and end the year as the world number one.

The Briton has become the 17th player in tennis history to end the year as the world number one.

Murray took an hour and 42 minutes to prevail over a subdued Djokovic in London&#39;s O2 Arena.

&quot;Very special day. We have played grand slam finals. Have lost many of them. But happy to win here,&quot; said Murray, who also thanked his family and his team for his success.

This was Murray&#39;s just 11th win in 35 meetings with Djokovic.

&quot;Andy deserved to win. He played the better tennis in the decisive moments,&quot; Djokovic said.

&quot;I congratulate (Murray&#39;s) team,&quot; he said in the post-match presentation.

It&#39;s been a good year for both players, with Djokovic picking up the first two grand slams of the year -- Australian Open and French Open -- and Andy Murray winning Wimbledon and the Olympic gold.

Murray had ended Djokovic&#39;s 122-week reign as world number one two weeks ago.

He becomes the first player other than Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to hold the ranking since 2003.

(WION)

Briton's Andy Murray beat his longtime rival Novak Djokovic in straight sets to end the year as world number one

Andy Murray has beaten Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4 to win the ATP World Tour Finals and end the year as the world number one. The Briton has become the 17th player in tennis history to end the year as the world number one. Murray took an hour and 42 minutes to prevail over a subdued Djokovic in London's O2 Arena. "Very special day. We have played grand slam finals. Have lost many of them. But happy to win here," said Murray, who also thanked his family and his team for his success. This was Murray's just 11th win in 35 meetings with Djokovic. "Andy deserved to win. He played the better tennis in the decisive moments," Djokovic said. "I congratulate (Murray's) team," he said in the post-match presentation. It's been a good year for both players, with Djokovic picking up the first two grand slams of the year -- Australian Open and French Open -- and Andy Murray winning Wimbledon and the Olympic gold. Murray had ended Djokovic's 122-week reign as world number one two weeks ago. He becomes the first player other than Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to hold the ranking since 2003. (WION)

Murray beats Djokovic in battle for top spot

Andy Murray swept into the semi-finals of the ATP Tour Finals with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Stan Wawrinka on Friday as the world number one remained on course for a final showdown against Novak Djokovic.

Murray brushed aside Wawrinka in 86 minutes at London&#39;s O2 Arena to ensure he finished top of his group and avoided a last four clash with Djokovic.

Instead, the 29-year-old will face Canada&#39;s Milos Raonic in Saturday&#39;s semi-finals.

Wawrinka&#39;s defeat means Japan&#39;s Kei Nishikori qualifies as runner-up to Murray and he takes on defending champion Djokovic in the other semi-final.

Murray ended Djokovic&#39;s 122-week reign at the top of the rankings two weeks ago, but to guarantee finishing 2016 in pole position, he must win the Tour Finals for the first time.

He looks in the mood to do just that on the evidence of a ruthless performance against US Open champion Wawrinka, which took his winning streak to 22 matches and equalled his career best run earlier this year.

&quot;The first set was tight. There weren&#39;t many chances. I managed to get the break late in the set,&quot; Murray said.

&quot;In the second set I&#39;d already qualified for the semis so maybe it was easier for me to play more free than him. Stan is one of the best players in the world. When he&#39;s at his best he&#39;s unplayable, but I played a solid match. I&#39;m happy to get to the semis.&quot;

This has been an incredible year for Murray, who has won Wimbledon for the second time, claimed a second Olympic gold medal and become a father for the first time.

To finish it on another high, Murray must repeat this year&#39;s Wimbledon and Queen&#39;s final triumphs against the big serving Raonic.

That would set up a possible winner-takes-all meeting with his old rival Djokovic to determine who secures the Tour Finals title and the world number one ranking.

(AFP)

Murray will take on defending champion Djokovic in the finals if he ensures a win against Canada's Raonic in the semi-finals

Andy Murray swept into the semi-finals of the ATP Tour Finals with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Stan Wawrinka on Friday as the world number one remained on course for a final showdown against Novak Djokovic. Murray brushed aside Wawrinka in 86 minutes at London's O2 Arena to ensure he finished top of his group and avoided a last four clash with Djokovic. Instead, the 29-year-old will face Canada's Milos Raonic in Saturday's semi-finals. Wawrinka's defeat means Japan's Kei Nishikori qualifies as runner-up to Murray and he takes on defending champion Djokovic in the other semi-final. Murray ended Djokovic's 122-week reign at the top of the rankings two weeks ago, but to guarantee finishing 2016 in pole position, he must win the Tour Finals for the first time. He looks in the mood to do just that on the evidence of a ruthless performance against US Open champion Wawrinka, which took his winning streak to 22 matches and equalled his career best run earlier this year. "The first set was tight. There weren't many chances. I managed to get the break late in the set," Murray said. "In the second set I'd already qualified for the semis so maybe it was easier for me to play more free than him. Stan is one of the best players in the world. When he's at his best he's unplayable, but I played a solid match. I'm happy to get to the semis." This has been an incredible year for Murray, who has won Wimbledon for the second time, claimed a second Olympic gold medal and become a father for the first time. To finish it on another high, Murray must repeat this year's Wimbledon and Queen's final triumphs against the big serving Raonic. That would set up a possible winner-takes-all meeting with his old rival Djokovic to determine who secures the Tour Finals title and the world number one ranking. (AFP)

Tennis: Murray sweeps into semi-finals of ATP Tour Finals

If Andy Murray was grateful to Marin Cilic for facilitating his rise to the summit this month it was not evident as he added the Croatian to his lengthening list of victims at the ATP World Tour Finals on Monday.

It was Cilic&#39;s defeat of Novak Djokovic at the Paris Masters that opened the door for Murray to seize the number one ranking he had spent his whole career pursuing.

Murray repaid the favour with a 6-3, 6-2 win, his 20th in succession, although it was far from a drubbing as Cilic tried his utmost to ruin&nbsp;Scot&#39;s homecoming.

Four more performances like that at the O2 Arena this week should guarantee the 29-year-old will end 2016 leading the pack.

Murray had lost his most recent meeting with Cilic, the Cincinnati Masters final in August, and on Wednesday he will face Japan&#39;s Kei Nishikori who stopped him in the US&nbsp;Open quarter-finals, Murray&#39;s last Tour level defeat.

Nishikori had earlier beaten Swiss Stan Wawrinka 6-2 6-3 in the John McEnroe group, although that match was as one-sided as the scoreline suggested with Wawrinka badly off key.

Murray has been handed a tougher-looking group than Novak Djokovic, the man he deposed and who could still snatch back the top ranking, but he cleared the first hurdle in style in front of a near full house who welcomed him home like a returning hero.

&quot;It was a great reception,&quot; Murray, Britain&#39;s first ATP singles world number one, told reporters.

&quot;After a long kind of few months, it&#39;s nice to know that I&#39;m going to be finishing the year playing in that sort of atmosphere. It helps you get up for the matches a bit more.&quot;

Murray served four double faults in the early stages and came under a fierce assault by Cilic.

But in his first match since officially taking over at the top, he showed all the attributes that have made him all but unbeatable since his French Open final loss to Djokovic.

Even when Cilic cancelled out an early break Murray responded immediately to move 3-1 ahead.

He conjured an ace to stave off a break point in the next game and eventually took a high-quality opener in 45 minutes.

Cilic had chances again at the start of the second set but it was Murray who struck in the fifth game with a blistering forehand winner. Murray then put the hammer down.

&quot;A little bit unfortunate to go 6-3, 6-2, it felt it was much, much closer in the first set, beginning of the second,&quot; Cilic, who will play Wawrinka on Wednesday, told reporters.

Wawrinka will have to improve considerably.

The US&nbsp;Open champion sprayed more than 30 unforced errors against Nishikori in a disappointingly one-sided clash.

Wawrinka tried to pump himself up at the start of the second set, delivering a couple of signature backhands, but he looked a shadow of the player who claimed a third grand slam title by beating Djokovic in New York in September.

&quot;I thought I could play at a better level today. I was expecting a good match. Didn&#39;t happen today,&quot; Wawrinka said.

(Reuters)

Andy Murray beat the Croatian 6-3, 6-2 at the ATP World Tour Finals on Monday

If Andy Murray was grateful to Marin Cilic for facilitating his rise to the summit this month it was not evident as he added the Croatian to his lengthening list of victims at the ATP World Tour Finals on Monday. It was Cilic's defeat of Novak Djokovic at the Paris Masters that opened the door for Murray to seize the number one ranking he had spent his whole career pursuing. Murray repaid the favour with a 6-3, 6-2 win, his 20th in succession, although it was far from a drubbing as Cilic tried his utmost to ruin Scot's homecoming. Four more performances like that at the O2 Arena this week should guarantee the 29-year-old will end 2016 leading the pack. Murray had lost his most recent meeting with Cilic, the Cincinnati Masters final in August, and on Wednesday he will face Japan's Kei Nishikori who stopped him in the US Open quarter-finals, Murray's last Tour level defeat. Nishikori had earlier beaten Swiss Stan Wawrinka 6-2 6-3 in the John McEnroe group, although that match was as one-sided as the scoreline suggested with Wawrinka badly off key. Murray has been handed a tougher-looking group than Novak Djokovic, the man he deposed and who could still snatch back the top ranking, but he cleared the first hurdle in style in front of a near full house who welcomed him home like a returning hero. "It was a great reception," Murray, Britain's first ATP singles world number one, told reporters. "After a long kind of few months, it's nice to know that I'm going to be finishing the year playing in that sort of atmosphere. It helps you get up for the matches a bit more." Murray served four double faults in the early stages and came under a fierce assault by Cilic. But in his first match since officially taking over at the top, he showed all the attributes that have made him all but unbeatable since his French Open final loss to Djokovic. Even when Cilic cancelled out an early break Murray responded immediately to move 3-1 ahead. He conjured an ace to stave off a break point in the next game and eventually took a high-quality opener in 45 minutes. Cilic had chances again at the start of the second set but it was Murray who struck in the fifth game with a blistering forehand winner. Murray then put the hammer down. "A little bit unfortunate to go 6-3, 6-2, it felt it was much, much closer in the first set, beginning of the second," Cilic, who will play Wawrinka on Wednesday, told reporters. Wawrinka will have to improve considerably. The US Open champion sprayed more than 30 unforced errors against Nishikori in a disappointingly one-sided clash. Wawrinka tried to pump himself up at the start of the second set, delivering a couple of signature backhands, but he looked a shadow of the player who claimed a third grand slam title by beating Djokovic in New York in September. "I thought I could play at a better level today. I was expecting a good match. Didn't happen today," Wawrinka said. (Reuters)

Returning hero Murray masters Cilic, Nishikori wins

Andy Murray celebrated his impending rise to the world number one ranking with a 6-3 6-7(4) 6-4 victory against John Isner to claim his maiden Paris Masters title and his eighth tournament win of the season on Sunday.

The Briton, who will take over from Novak Djokovic at the top of the ATP rankings on Monday, survived a barrage of aces against the towering American to win his 14th career Masters tournament.

The three-times grand slam champion gave little breathing space to Isner, who was hoping to clinch his first Masters title after two lost finals.

Murray will be the top seed at the season-ending ATP World Tour finals at the O2 Arena in London from Nov. 13-20.

&quot;Thanks to my team and my family who were commenting back home. This has been an incredible journey for me to get to the top of the rankings, I could have not done it without all of you,&quot; said Murray.

Isner said of Murray: &quot;He&#39;s the guy that everyone is looking up to right now. And he&#39;s been at the top of the game for so long. Whether it&#39;s two, three, four in the world, everyone knows how hard he works and how dedicated he is.

&quot;He&#39;s a big inspiration to myself and I&#39;m sure he&#39;s a big inspiration to other players, as well.&quot;

The double Olympic champion entered the contest with a 7-0 record against Isner and his recent form, which had helped him to win six of his eight previous tournaments since losing the French Open final, suggested he would have the upper hand.

Murray, who now has 43 titles to his name, broke in the sixth game on his first opportunity when Isner sent a backhand long.

The American, who served a total of 18 aces, had two chances to break back in the following game as he opened up a 40-15 lead.

Murray saved the first with a routine volley after managing to lob his 2.08-metre opponent, and forced Isner to bury a backhand into the net on the second.

He bagged the opening set with an unreturned serve having made only four unforced errors.

Isner earned three break points thanks to a splendid drop shot followed by a forehand winner. Murray saved them all, the last one with a second-serve ace, and staved off another one to stay level.

In the tiebreak, Isner went 4-2 up when Murray double faulted, and the American closed it out with a booming forehand winner to send the contest into a decider.

Both players looked clumsy but it was Murray who played a tighter game in the end, ending the contest on his first match point when Isner netted a backhand volley.

(AFP)

&nbsp;

The three-time Grand Slam winner beat John Isner 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-4

Andy Murray celebrated his impending rise to the world number one ranking with a 6-3 6-7(4) 6-4 victory against John Isner to claim his maiden Paris Masters title and his eighth tournament win of the season on Sunday. The Briton, who will take over from Novak Djokovic at the top of the ATP rankings on Monday, survived a barrage of aces against the towering American to win his 14th career Masters tournament. The three-times grand slam champion gave little breathing space to Isner, who was hoping to clinch his first Masters title after two lost finals. Murray will be the top seed at the season-ending ATP World Tour finals at the O2 Arena in London from Nov. 13-20. "Thanks to my team and my family who were commenting back home. This has been an incredible journey for me to get to the top of the rankings, I could have not done it without all of you," said Murray. Isner said of Murray: "He's the guy that everyone is looking up to right now. And he's been at the top of the game for so long. Whether it's two, three, four in the world, everyone knows how hard he works and how dedicated he is. "He's a big inspiration to myself and I'm sure he's a big inspiration to other players, as well." The double Olympic champion entered the contest with a 7-0 record against Isner and his recent form, which had helped him to win six of his eight previous tournaments since losing the French Open final, suggested he would have the upper hand. Murray, who now has 43 titles to his name, broke in the sixth game on his first opportunity when Isner sent a backhand long. The American, who served a total of 18 aces, had two chances to break back in the following game as he opened up a 40-15 lead. Murray saved the first with a routine volley after managing to lob his 2.08-metre opponent, and forced Isner to bury a backhand into the net on the second. He bagged the opening set with an unreturned serve having made only four unforced errors. Isner earned three break points thanks to a splendid drop shot followed by a forehand winner. Murray saved them all, the last one with a second-serve ace, and staved off another one to stay level. In the tiebreak, Isner went 4-2 up when Murray double faulted, and the American closed it out with a booming forehand winner to send the contest into a decider. Both players looked clumsy but it was Murray who played a tighter game in the end, ending the contest on his first match point when Isner netted a backhand volley. (AFP)

Tennis: Murray claims Paris Masters title

Four-time Paris champion Novak Djokovic&#39;s loss has left the world number one spot open for Andy Murray, should he win his Paris Masters semi-final on Saturday.&nbsp;

Murray said he will not let the pressure of Saturday&#39;s game get to him and will focus on the game alone. &nbsp;

&quot;If it happens this week, great. But if not, I&#39;m not putting any extra pressure on myself this week because I still think I have an opportunity to do it in the future.&quot;

&quot;But obviously I&#39;d love to do it Saturday if I can,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Murray will play Canada&#39;s Milos Raonic in the semi-finals.&nbsp;

The 29-year-old Wimbledon and Olympic champion defeated Tomas Berdych 7-6 (11/9), 7-5 in the quarter-finals on Friday.&nbsp;

&quot;Before the match there were a few more nerves maybe than there was earlier in the week. But once I got out there, I didn&#39;t feel any different to any other match,&quot; Murray said referring to the match with&nbsp;Berdych.&nbsp;

(WION)

He beat Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters on Friday

Four-time Paris champion Novak Djokovic's loss has left the world number one spot open for Andy Murray, should he win his Paris Masters semi-final on Saturday. Murray said he will not let the pressure of Saturday's game get to him and will focus on the game alone. "If it happens this week, great. But if not, I'm not putting any extra pressure on myself this week because I still think I have an opportunity to do it in the future." "But obviously I'd love to do it Saturday if I can," he added. Murray will play Canada's Milos Raonic in the semi-finals. The 29-year-old Wimbledon and Olympic champion defeated Tomas Berdych 7-6 (11/9), 7-5 in the quarter-finals on Friday. "Before the match there were a few more nerves maybe than there was earlier in the week. But once I got out there, I didn't feel any different to any other match," Murray said referring to the match with Berdych. (WION)

Tennis: Murray one win away from world no. 1 ranking

Britain&#39;s Andy Murray became the new world number one on Saturday after Milos Raonic withdrew from their Paris Masters semi-final with injury.

The walkover will see Murray, 29, move to the top of the rankings for the first time in his career after replacing long-time incumbent Novak Djokovic.

Raonic said he had suffered a muscle tear in his right leg in his previous match, sending Murray through to face John Isner in Sunday&#39;s final.

&quot;This morning I had trouble waking up and getting out of bed. So I went to sort of clear any serious diagnosis,&quot; said Raonic, who hurt himself in Friday&#39;s quarter-final win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.&nbsp;

&quot;Did some tests. Did an MRI half an hour ago, let&#39;s say. They found that I have a tear, Grade 1 tear in the right quad.&nbsp;

&quot;Unfortunately, I&#39;m not able to compete against Andy today in the second semi-final.&quot;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Murray replaced Djokovic to take the top spot for the first time in hi career after Raonic pulled out citing a leg injury

Britain's Andy Murray became the new world number one on Saturday after Milos Raonic withdrew from their Paris Masters semi-final with injury. The walkover will see Murray, 29, move to the top of the rankings for the first time in his career after replacing long-time incumbent Novak Djokovic. Raonic said he had suffered a muscle tear in his right leg in his previous match, sending Murray through to face John Isner in Sunday's final. "This morning I had trouble waking up and getting out of bed. So I went to sort of clear any serious diagnosis," said Raonic, who hurt himself in Friday's quarter-final win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. "Did some tests. Did an MRI half an hour ago, let's say. They found that I have a tear, Grade 1 tear in the right quad. "Unfortunately, I'm not able to compete against Andy today in the second semi-final." (AFP)

Tennis: Murray becomes world number one after Raonic withdraws from Paris Masters

Andy Murray stepped up his assault on Novak Djokovic&#39;s world number one ranking by thrashing Lucas Pouille to ease into the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters on Thursday.

Murray reeled off the final eight games as he dispatched French 13th seed Pouille 6-3, 6-0 to extend his winning streak to 17 matches.

&quot;I thought I returned well today. I had chances in almost all of his service games throughout the match. And on this surface, obviously when it&#39;s a bit quicker, that&#39;s good,&quot; said Murray.

&quot;I felt tired (this morning) because it was a late finish (from Wednesday night when Murray defeated Fernando Verdasco) but I felt all right once I got going,&quot; added the second seed, having equalled last season&#39;s career-best total of 71 wins.

Murray, runner-up in Paris last year, will next meet Tomas Berdych who beat Gilles Simon 6-4, 6-3, as he bids to end long-time rival Djokovic&#39;s 122-week run at the top of the rankings.

The Scot has won three straight tournaments -- in Beijing, Shanghai and Vienna -- to drastically close the gap on Djokovic and must at least reach the final in Paris to stand a chance of displacing the Serb.&nbsp;

Djokovic recovered from an early wobble to defeat Grigor Dimitrov 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 as he tries to keep Murray at arm&#39;s length.

The record four-time champion will remain above Murray at the top of the rankings if he makes Sunday&#39;s final in the French capital, but Djokovic was made to sweat by the Bulgarian.

He fell behind after losing serve twice in succession in an hour-long first set and then required medical treatment on his right knee after landing awkwardly while stretching for a return.

But Djokovic kept his calm as the errors mounted from Dimitrov to claim the second set with relative ease, and he broke early in the decider to wrest away control of the match.

&quot;He started off the match very well. I knew it from the beginning that it&#39;s going to be tough. That&#39;s all I can say,&quot; said Djokovic, who swiftly dismissed any concerns over his knee.

&quot;No problem, thankfully. Just an awkward footing in that point, but all is well.&quot;&nbsp;

Cilic headed to London

The top seed next takes on Marin Cilic, who earlier punched his ticket to the Tour finals in London with a 6-3, 7/6 (11/9) defeat of David Goffin.

&quot;He&#39;s in great form. He has a big serve that he relies on a lot,&quot; Djokovic said of Cilic.

&quot;He loves, I guess, this kind of very quick conditions. He won Cincinnati in a very similar, even faster conditions.&quot;

Cilic claimed the penultimate spot in the eight-man field for the prestigious November 13-20 event in London after seeing off Goffin on his sixth match point.

&quot;That was the goal of the season for me, to reach the Tour finals in London,&quot; said Cilic, who eliminated Goffin from contention in the process.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga kept his faint London hopes flickering though by saving two match points in a dramatic 0-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) win over Japan&#39;s Kei Nishikori.

The 2008 Paris champion must land another title in the French capital to have a shot at returning to the Tour finals for the first time since 2012.

He goes on to&nbsp;play Milos Raonic after the Canadian shook off a slow start against Uruguay&#39;s Pablo Cuevas to advance 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

American Jack Sock matched last month&#39;s run to the quarters in Shanghai as he dumped out home hope Richard Gasquet 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.

He will meet compatriot John Isner in the next round after the latter halted the run of German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff, winning 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3.

Berdych, the 2005 titlist, is hoping to make the Tour finals for a seventh consecutive year.

The world number 11 trails Dominic Thiem, who lost in the second round, in the race for the remaining London berth and needs to reach at least the semis to leapfrog the Austrian.&nbsp;

(AFP)

World number 2 Andy Murray dropped just three games to beat Lucas Pouille in his attempt to bag the number one ranking from Djokovic

Andy Murray stepped up his assault on Novak Djokovic's world number one ranking by thrashing Lucas Pouille to ease into the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters on Thursday. Murray reeled off the final eight games as he dispatched French 13th seed Pouille 6-3, 6-0 to extend his winning streak to 17 matches. "I thought I returned well today. I had chances in almost all of his service games throughout the match. And on this surface, obviously when it's a bit quicker, that's good," said Murray. "I felt tired (this morning) because it was a late finish (from Wednesday night when Murray defeated Fernando Verdasco) but I felt all right once I got going," added the second seed, having equalled last season's career-best total of 71 wins. Murray, runner-up in Paris last year, will next meet Tomas Berdych who beat Gilles Simon 6-4, 6-3, as he bids to end long-time rival Djokovic's 122-week run at the top of the rankings. The Scot has won three straight tournaments -- in Beijing, Shanghai and Vienna -- to drastically close the gap on Djokovic and must at least reach the final in Paris to stand a chance of displacing the Serb. Djokovic recovered from an early wobble to defeat Grigor Dimitrov 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 as he tries to keep Murray at arm's length. The record four-time champion will remain above Murray at the top of the rankings if he makes Sunday's final in the French capital, but Djokovic was made to sweat by the Bulgarian. He fell behind after losing serve twice in succession in an hour-long first set and then required medical treatment on his right knee after landing awkwardly while stretching for a return. But Djokovic kept his calm as the errors mounted from Dimitrov to claim the second set with relative ease, and he broke early in the decider to wrest away control of the match. "He started off the match very well. I knew it from the beginning that it's going to be tough. That's all I can say," said Djokovic, who swiftly dismissed any concerns over his knee. "No problem, thankfully. Just an awkward footing in that point, but all is well." Cilic headed to London The top seed next takes on Marin Cilic, who earlier punched his ticket to the Tour finals in London with a 6-3, 7/6 (11/9) defeat of David Goffin. "He's in great form. He has a big serve that he relies on a lot," Djokovic said of Cilic. "He loves, I guess, this kind of very quick conditions. He won Cincinnati in a very similar, even faster conditions." Cilic claimed the penultimate spot in the eight-man field for the prestigious November 13-20 event in London after seeing off Goffin on his sixth match point. "That was the goal of the season for me, to reach the Tour finals in London," said Cilic, who eliminated Goffin from contention in the process. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga kept his faint London hopes flickering though by saving two match points in a dramatic 0-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) win over Japan's Kei Nishikori. The 2008 Paris champion must land another title in the French capital to have a shot at returning to the Tour finals for the first time since 2012. He goes on to play Milos Raonic after the Canadian shook off a slow start against Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas to advance 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. American Jack Sock matched last month's run to the quarters in Shanghai as he dumped out home hope Richard Gasquet 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. He will meet compatriot John Isner in the next round after the latter halted the run of German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff, winning 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3. Berdych, the 2005 titlist, is hoping to make the Tour finals for a seventh consecutive year. The world number 11 trails Dominic Thiem, who lost in the second round, in the race for the remaining London berth and needs to reach at least the semis to leapfrog the Austrian. (AFP)

Paris Masters: Ruthless Murray keeps pressure on Djokovic

To get to the top, professional tennis players know they have to make tough sacrifices. But at the WTA Finals on Monday, Russia&#39;s Svetlana Kuznetsova took that concept to a new level, chopping off her hair in order to beat Agnieszka Radwanska.&nbsp;

In the second match of the tournament, world number six&nbsp;Karolina&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tennis.com/player/732/karolina-pliskova/">Pliskova&nbsp;</a>came back from a 0-4 deficit in the deciding set to beat French Open champion Garbine Muguruza 6-2 6-7 (4) 7-5 in a topsy-turvy battle.

Svetlana Kuznetsova hacked off her own hair with a pair of scissors and burst into tears before saving a match point and beating the defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5 1-6 7-5 at the WTA Finals on Monday.

Despite appearing on the verge of exhaustion and close to breaking down, Kuznetsova somehow summoned up the energy to win her opening round-robin match in dramatic fashion, less than 48 hours after she qualified for the prestigious end-of-season championship.

Spectators at Singapore&rsquo;s Indoor Stadium looked on in stunned disbelief when the Russian gave herself an impromptu haircut early in the deciding third set, asking the umpire to get her a large of pair scissors before proceeding to chop off the end of her ponytail and tossing the loose strands onto her seat.

&quot;It was bothering me a lot. I was trying to put it behind my headband, but my hair is very thick and heavy,&quot; Kuznetsova explained.

&quot;When I was hitting the forehands every time I would hit a good shot...it would hit my eye every time and I had struggle. I thought, &lsquo;ok, what&#39;s more important now? My hair, which I can let grow, or the match? I thought, &lsquo;okay, I&rsquo;ve got to go for it right now&rsquo;, and that&#39;s it.&quot;

Radwanska said she didn&rsquo;t even realise her opponent had cut off her locks during the match. &quot;I didn&#39;t even know that,&quot; she told reporters. &quot;Good thing she didn&#39;t cut her anything else. I think hair is not very important.&quot;

Last November, Andy Murray also gave his fringe a trim courtside at the ATP World Tour finals, saying it was getting into his eyes. &nbsp;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

In the other match, Karolina?Pliskova?came back from a 0-4 deficit in the deciding set to beat French Open champion Garbine Muguruza

To get to the top, professional tennis players know they have to make tough sacrifices. But at the WTA Finals on Monday, Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova took that concept to a new level, chopping off her hair in order to beat Agnieszka Radwanska. In the second match of the tournament, world number six Karolina Pliskova came back from a 0-4 deficit in the deciding set to beat French Open champion Garbine Muguruza 6-2 6-7 (4) 7-5 in a topsy-turvy battle. Svetlana Kuznetsova hacked off her own hair with a pair of scissors and burst into tears before saving a match point and beating the defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5 1-6 7-5 at the WTA Finals on Monday. Despite appearing on the verge of exhaustion and close to breaking down, Kuznetsova somehow summoned up the energy to win her opening round-robin match in dramatic fashion, less than 48 hours after she qualified for the prestigious end-of-season championship. Spectators at Singapore’s Indoor Stadium looked on in stunned disbelief when the Russian gave herself an impromptu haircut early in the deciding third set, asking the umpire to get her a large of pair scissors before proceeding to chop off the end of her ponytail and tossing the loose strands onto her seat. "It was bothering me a lot. I was trying to put it behind my headband, but my hair is very thick and heavy," Kuznetsova explained. "When I was hitting the forehands every time I would hit a good shot...it would hit my eye every time and I had struggle. I thought, ‘ok, what's more important now? My hair, which I can let grow, or the match? I thought, ‘okay, I’ve got to go for it right now’, and that's it." Radwanska said she didn’t even realise her opponent had cut off her locks during the match. "I didn't even know that," she told reporters. "Good thing she didn't cut her anything else. I think hair is not very important." Last November, Andy Murray also gave his fringe a trim courtside at the ATP World Tour finals, saying it was getting into his eyes. (AFP)

WTA Finals: Kuznetsova chops locks to beat Radwanska

Andy&nbsp;Murray beat Roberto Bautista in straight sets to win the Shanghai Masters and close the gap on world number one Novak Djokovic.

The win on Sunday means that the world number two Briton has won his last ten matches in straight sets.

Murray won seven points in a row to grab the first set tie-breaker and broke his opponent thrice in the second set to win the final 7-6 (1), 6-1.

With this win, Murray trails Novak Djokovic by just 915 points.&nbsp;

&quot;I believe I can get there. I definitely believe I can get there. These last few months have proved that to me,&quot;&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;said when asked about his ambition to be the world&#39;s best tennis player.&nbsp;

&quot;I may never get another chance to be number one, so I&#39;ll give it my best shot to do that while I have the opportunity.&quot;

Though Djokovic started the year&nbsp;in imperious form by&nbsp;winning the first two majors. But Murray has enjoyed a splendid run in the second half of the season, becoming the first tennis player to defend his Olympic gold medal&nbsp;and his second Wimbledon.

Bautista, who beat an out-of-sorts Djokovic in the previous round, said of Murray: &quot;I think I can see it in his eyes. He&#39;s really focused on getting number one.&quot;

Nineteenth-ranked Bautista was playing the first Masters final of his career.

The win at Shanghai was Murray&#39;s sixth tittle of the year, and his 41st of his career.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Briton won the Masters title without dropping a single set in the tournament to gain ground on world number one Novak Djokovic

Andy Murray beat Roberto Bautista in straight sets to win the Shanghai Masters and close the gap on world number one Novak Djokovic. The win on Sunday means that the world number two Briton has won his last ten matches in straight sets. Murray won seven points in a row to grab the first set tie-breaker and broke his opponent thrice in the second set to win the final 7-6 (1), 6-1. With this win, Murray trails Novak Djokovic by just 915 points. "I believe I can get there. I definitely believe I can get there. These last few months have proved that to me," Murray said when asked about his ambition to be the world's best tennis player. "I may never get another chance to be number one, so I'll give it my best shot to do that while I have the opportunity." Though Djokovic started the year in imperious form by winning the first two majors. But Murray has enjoyed a splendid run in the second half of the season, becoming the first tennis player to defend his Olympic gold medal and his second Wimbledon. Bautista, who beat an out-of-sorts Djokovic in the previous round, said of Murray: "I think I can see it in his eyes. He's really focused on getting number one." Nineteenth-ranked Bautista was playing the first Masters final of his career. The win at Shanghai was Murray's sixth tittle of the year, and his 41st of his career. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Andy Murray beats Roberto Bautista to win Shanghai Masters

Novak Djokovic suffered a shock 6-4, 6-4 loss to Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the Shanghai Masters semi-finals today, while world number two Andy Murray beat France&#39;s Gilles Simon 6-4 6-3, making his way into the finals.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

World number one Djokovic made 29 unforced errors against Agut and converted just two of nine break points, international news agency Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

He saved three match points before Bautista Agut broke his serve for the fourth time to wrap up the victory.

&nbsp;

&quot;He was the star of the show. That&#39;s what he wanted to be today,&quot; Djokovic told reporters.

&nbsp;

&quot;But there are definitely things that I need to regain from the emotional, mental point of view,&rdquo; the 29-year-old added.

&nbsp;

Bautista Agut said aggressive tactics were key to him picking up his first victory in six attempts against Djokovic.

&nbsp;

&quot;I tried to force him to play his best tennis. I think in the first set he played some good tennis. He played a little bit better than me,&quot; Bautista Agut said.

&nbsp;

&quot;But then I knew that I had to increase my level. I had to play more aggressive.&quot;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Djokovic made 29 unforced errors against Roberto Bautista Agut and converted just two of nine break points

Novak Djokovic suffered a shock 6-4, 6-4 loss to Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the Shanghai Masters semi-finals today, while world number two Andy Murray beat France's Gilles Simon 6-4 6-3, making his way into the finals. World number one Djokovic made 29 unforced errors against Agut and converted just two of nine break points, international news agency Reuters reported. He saved three match points before Bautista Agut broke his serve for the fourth time to wrap up the victory. "He was the star of the show. That's what he wanted to be today," Djokovic told reporters. "But there are definitely things that I need to regain from the emotional, mental point of view,” the 29-year-old added. Bautista Agut said aggressive tactics were key to him picking up his first victory in six attempts against Djokovic. "I tried to force him to play his best tennis. I think in the first set he played some good tennis. He played a little bit better than me," Bautista Agut said. "But then I knew that I had to increase my level. I had to play more aggressive." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Djokovic suffers shock loss to Spaniard Agut, Murray eases through

World number one Novak Djokovic recovered from a first-set loss to overcome Germany&#39;s Mischa Zverev while Britain&#39;s&nbsp;Andy&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;swept past Belgium&#39;s David Goffin to reach the Shanghai Masters semi-finals on Friday.

Djokovic committed 37 unforced errors before labouring to a 3-6 7-6(4) 6-3 win which set up a clash with Spain&#39;s Roberto Bautista Agut, who humbled Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3 6-4.

Second seed&nbsp;Murray, who has now won 16 sets in a row in ATP events, was ruthless in his 6-2 6-2 victory to clinch his fifth win in five matches against 11th seed Goffin.

Zverev, ranked 110th in the world, broke the Serbian in the third and ninth games to take the opening set in 40 minutes.

The 29-year-old Zverev looked on course for the biggest win of his career after taking a 2-0 lead in the second before Djokovic pounced on the German&#39;s errors to level the match.

Djokovic took a 3-0 lead in the decider, winning 92 percent of his first-serve points to seal victory in two hours and 20 minutes.

&quot;You&#39;re trying to reach that balance between being concentrated but at the same time being kind of calm and relaxed and enjoying the moment,&quot; said Djokovic, who hummed a tune while waiting to return Zverev&#39;s serve in the latter stages.

&quot;I was always trying to keep that optimal state of mind. Instead of the occasional tantrum that I used to have, I (switched) that vibration and transformed it in a tune.&quot;

Murray, who won the China Open last week, fired down eight aces and will face Gilles Simon in next round.

Frenchman Simon, who upstaged world number three Stan Wawrinka in the previous round, continued his fine run with a 4-6 6-4 7-6(5) win over American Jack Sock.

(Reuters)

World number one Novak Djokovic came from a set down to win against Mischa Zverev, Andy Murray beat David Goffin in straight sets

World number one Novak Djokovic recovered from a first-set loss to overcome Germany's Mischa Zverev while Britain's Andy Murray swept past Belgium's David Goffin to reach the Shanghai Masters semi-finals on Friday. Djokovic committed 37 unforced errors before labouring to a 3-6 7-6(4) 6-3 win which set up a clash with Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut, who humbled Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3 6-4. Second seed Murray, who has now won 16 sets in a row in ATP events, was ruthless in his 6-2 6-2 victory to clinch his fifth win in five matches against 11th seed Goffin. Zverev, ranked 110th in the world, broke the Serbian in the third and ninth games to take the opening set in 40 minutes. The 29-year-old Zverev looked on course for the biggest win of his career after taking a 2-0 lead in the second before Djokovic pounced on the German's errors to level the match. Djokovic took a 3-0 lead in the decider, winning 92 percent of his first-serve points to seal victory in two hours and 20 minutes. "You're trying to reach that balance between being concentrated but at the same time being kind of calm and relaxed and enjoying the moment," said Djokovic, who hummed a tune while waiting to return Zverev's serve in the latter stages. "I was always trying to keep that optimal state of mind. Instead of the occasional tantrum that I used to have, I (switched) that vibration and transformed it in a tune." Murray, who won the China Open last week, fired down eight aces and will face Gilles Simon in next round. Frenchman Simon, who upstaged world number three Stan Wawrinka in the previous round, continued his fine run with a 4-6 6-4 7-6(5) win over American Jack Sock. (Reuters)

Shanghai Masters: Djokovic stutters, Murray eases into semi-finals

With his sight set on the world number one spot, Andy Murray moved fluently past America&#39;s Steve Johnson 6-3, 6-2 to reach the third round at the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday.&nbsp;

It was a&nbsp;different story for Spanish great Rafael Nadal who crashed to a shock defeat to Viktor Troicki in the first round. The 14-time Grand Slam champion lost 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) as he suffered his first ever defeat to the Serb.&nbsp;

Afterwards, Nadal, now 30 and with a catalogue of injuries to his name, vowed to return to top form in next season. &quot;I know what I have to do and I&#39;m going to do it,&quot; scowled the Spaniard, who has had little to smile about at the big tournaments this year.

&quot;I&#39;ve got two-and-a-half months until next season starts so I have got two-and-a-half months to put myself at the level I want to be. And I&#39;m confident I&#39;m going to do it.&quot;

Australia&#39;s Nick Kyrgios too melted down in spectacular fashion. The hot-headed world number 14 was slapped with a code violation after an altercation with the chair umpire and a heckler. He also got a warning to play properly after he patted a child-like serve into his opponent&#39;s court.

Booed off the court, Kyrgios admitted not trying after he lost 6-3, 6-1 to German qualifier Mischa Zverev, the world number 110. Kyrgios added: &quot;I&#39;m good at hitting a tennis ball at the net. Like, big deal. I don&#39;t owe them anything. It&#39;s my choice,&quot; he said. &quot;If you don&#39;t like it, I didn&#39;t ask you to come watch. Just leave. If you&#39;re so good at giving advice and so good at tennis, why aren&#39;t you as good as me? Why aren&#39;t you on the tour?&quot;

Known for his poor behaviour on court, Kyrgios had even received a one-month suspension last year for making a lewd and personal comment during a match with Stan Wawrinka.

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Known for his poor behaviour on court, Australia's Nick Kyrgios was fined for an audible obscenity during an argument with the chair umpire

With his sight set on the world number one spot, Andy Murray moved fluently past America's Steve Johnson 6-3, 6-2 to reach the third round at the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday. It was a different story for Spanish great Rafael Nadal who crashed to a shock defeat to Viktor Troicki in the first round. The 14-time Grand Slam champion lost 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) as he suffered his first ever defeat to the Serb. Afterwards, Nadal, now 30 and with a catalogue of injuries to his name, vowed to return to top form in next season. "I know what I have to do and I'm going to do it," scowled the Spaniard, who has had little to smile about at the big tournaments this year. "I've got two-and-a-half months until next season starts so I have got two-and-a-half months to put myself at the level I want to be. And I'm confident I'm going to do it." Australia's Nick Kyrgios too melted down in spectacular fashion. The hot-headed world number 14 was slapped with a code violation after an altercation with the chair umpire and a heckler. He also got a warning to play properly after he patted a child-like serve into his opponent's court. Booed off the court, Kyrgios admitted not trying after he lost 6-3, 6-1 to German qualifier Mischa Zverev, the world number 110. Kyrgios added: "I'm good at hitting a tennis ball at the net. Like, big deal. I don't owe them anything. It's my choice," he said. "If you don't like it, I didn't ask you to come watch. Just leave. If you're so good at giving advice and so good at tennis, why aren't you as good as me? Why aren't you on the tour?" Known for his poor behaviour on court, Kyrgios had even received a one-month suspension last year for making a lewd and personal comment during a match with Stan Wawrinka. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Shanghai Masters: Nadal stunned, Kyrgios booed off court

Andy Murray took Novak Djokovic&#39;s China Open crown at the weekend, but that&#39;s not all that the Scot is after as he closes in on the Serb&#39;s number one ranking.

The second-ranked Scot is looking to close the points gap to Djokovic and cap a career-best season by topping the rankings for the first time.

Murray made a convincing start to that campaign in Beijing, storming through the tournament without dropping a set.&nbsp;

He beat Grigor Dimitrov to claim his fifth title of the year, and take him 1,000 points closer to Djokovic&#39;s long-held number one spot.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s very positive leading into Shanghai, and hopefully I can finish the year strong,&quot; Murray said in Beijing.

Djokovic wasn&#39;t in the Chinese capital to defend his China Open crown, having pulled out with an elbow injury, but both are playing at this week&#39;s Shanghai Masters.

The Serb also won in Shanghai last year -- another trophy in what was one of the best seasons in tennis history -- and so now has to defend those ranking points whereas Murray only will be banking&nbsp;points to&nbsp;further reduce the 3,005-point gap to Djokovic.

In a year that also saw him become a father for the first time, Murray bagged both his second Wimbledon crowns and Olympic gold medals.

He also reached the final of the Australian and French Opens&nbsp;but missed out on a second consecutive Davis Cup win when Great Britain lost to Argentina in the semi-finals.

As Murray aims to become the first British man to reach number one, he is already writing history with Johanna Konta.

The 25-year-old Sydney-born Briton broke into the top 10 with her run to the final at her maiden appearance at the China Open -- the first British woman since Jo Durie in 1984 to achieve that feat.

It is also the first time since computerised rankings were introduced that a British man and woman are ranked in the top 10 at the same time.

Konta is now in Hong Kong to try to cap a stunning rise over the last 15 months from 146th to ninth with her first appearance at the WTA Finals in Singapore, which features the season&#39;s top eight players.

&quot;She finished last year extremely well and kind of showed that she had the potential to get there with the wins that she was having.&nbsp;

&quot;But it&#39;s not easy to do it over a 12-month period,&quot; Murray said of Konta.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s exciting to see kind of how far she&#39;s going to be able to go.&quot;

(AFP)

With his second Wimbledon crown and Olympic gold medals this year, Murray aims to become the first British man to reach number one

Andy Murray took Novak Djokovic's China Open crown at the weekend, but that's not all that the Scot is after as he closes in on the Serb's number one ranking. The second-ranked Scot is looking to close the points gap to Djokovic and cap a career-best season by topping the rankings for the first time. Murray made a convincing start to that campaign in Beijing, storming through the tournament without dropping a set. He beat Grigor Dimitrov to claim his fifth title of the year, and take him 1,000 points closer to Djokovic's long-held number one spot. "It's very positive leading into Shanghai, and hopefully I can finish the year strong," Murray said in Beijing. Djokovic wasn't in the Chinese capital to defend his China Open crown, having pulled out with an elbow injury, but both are playing at this week's Shanghai Masters. The Serb also won in Shanghai last year -- another trophy in what was one of the best seasons in tennis history -- and so now has to defend those ranking points whereas Murray only will be banking points to further reduce the 3,005-point gap to Djokovic. In a year that also saw him become a father for the first time, Murray bagged both his second Wimbledon crowns and Olympic gold medals. He also reached the final of the Australian and French Opens but missed out on a second consecutive Davis Cup win when Great Britain lost to Argentina in the semi-finals. As Murray aims to become the first British man to reach number one, he is already writing history with Johanna Konta. The 25-year-old Sydney-born Briton broke into the top 10 with her run to the final at her maiden appearance at the China Open -- the first British woman since Jo Durie in 1984 to achieve that feat. It is also the first time since computerised rankings were introduced that a British man and woman are ranked in the top 10 at the same time. Konta is now in Hong Kong to try to cap a stunning rise over the last 15 months from 146th to ninth with her first appearance at the WTA Finals in Singapore, which features the season's top eight players. "She finished last year extremely well and kind of showed that she had the potential to get there with the wins that she was having. "But it's not easy to do it over a 12-month period," Murray said of Konta. "It's exciting to see kind of how far she's going to be able to go." (AFP)

Tennis: Murray eyes world number one spot, targets 'strong' year-end to topple Djokovic

Andy Murray beat Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets to win the China Open on Sunday as he closes in on Novak Djokovic&#39;s number one ranking.&nbsp;

The world number two lost six consecutive points in the second set to be pushed into a tiebreak by the unseeded Bulgarian.

The victory moves Murray 1,000 points closer to long-reigning world number one Djokovic, with the chance of taking the top spot by year-end.

Murray broke Dimitrov&#39;s serve in the opening game of the match, putting the 15th-ranked Bulgarian on the defensive and pushing him to make 21 unforced errors in the opening set.

In the second set, both held their serve through the first four games until Murray broke Dimitrov at 3-2.

In women&#39;s finals, Agnieszka Radwanska beat Johanna Konta in straight sets to take the title, denying the Briton her biggest career crown.

The third-ranked Pole - who cruised through the tournament without dropping a set -&nbsp;sealed her second title in Beijing with an ace for a 6-4, 6-2 win.

The victory was Radwanska&#39;s 20th career crown but there was more on the line for Konta, 25, who was making a bid in the Chinese capital for what would have been her second and biggest title.

Despite the loss, by reaching the Beijing final Konta has amassed enough points to break into the top 10 -- the first British woman to do so since Jo Durie in 1984.

When the new leaderboards are released Monday it will be the first time since computerised rankings were introduced that a British man (Andy Murray) and woman are ranked in the top 10 at the same time.

(AFP)

Radwanska won 6-4, 6-2, sealing her second title in Beijing while this is the first China Open win for Andy Murray

Andy Murray beat Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets to win the China Open on Sunday as he closes in on Novak Djokovic's number one ranking. The world number two lost six consecutive points in the second set to be pushed into a tiebreak by the unseeded Bulgarian. The victory moves Murray 1,000 points closer to long-reigning world number one Djokovic, with the chance of taking the top spot by year-end. Murray broke Dimitrov's serve in the opening game of the match, putting the 15th-ranked Bulgarian on the defensive and pushing him to make 21 unforced errors in the opening set. In the second set, both held their serve through the first four games until Murray broke Dimitrov at 3-2. In women's finals, Agnieszka Radwanska beat Johanna Konta in straight sets to take the title, denying the Briton her biggest career crown. The third-ranked Pole - who cruised through the tournament without dropping a set - sealed her second title in Beijing with an ace for a 6-4, 6-2 win. The victory was Radwanska's 20th career crown but there was more on the line for Konta, 25, who was making a bid in the Chinese capital for what would have been her second and biggest title. Despite the loss, by reaching the Beijing final Konta has amassed enough points to break into the top 10 -- the first British woman to do so since Jo Durie in 1984. When the new leaderboards are released Monday it will be the first time since computerised rankings were introduced that a British man (Andy Murray) and woman are ranked in the top 10 at the same time. (AFP)

Tennis: Murray, Radwanska clinch titles at China Open

Top seed Andy Murray cruised past Spain&#39;s David Ferrer 6-2 6-3 on Saturday and Bulgaria&#39;s Grigor Dimitrov received a walkover into the China Open final after Milos Raonic withdrew due to an ankle injury.

The 29-year-old Murray, who is yet to drop a set this week, sealed victory in one hour 31 minutes, his seventh successive win over fifth seed Ferrer.

The big-serving Raonic was forced to play twice on Friday, beating Tunisia&#39;s Malek Jaziri and Pablo Carreno Busta to advance to the last four and he sustained the injury during the win over the Spaniard.

&quot;Yesterday during my second match in the evening, I rolled over my ankle, obviously caused it some level of a sprain,&quot; the Canadian told the ATP website.

&quot;I did a test this morning, which showed I had a partial tear on the outside of my ankle. I was told to give it a try. I tried to warm up just before the match like I would normally, and I was unable to play.&quot;

Murray, through to the China Open final for the first time, has enjoyed one of the best years of his career, winning Wimbledon and the Olympic gold medal.

World number one Novak Djokovic pulled out of the tournament due to injury.

Raonic pulled out of his semi-final match a few hours before it was due to start.

&quot;Yesterday during my second match in the evening... I rolled over my ankle, obviously caused it some level of a sprain,&quot; Raonic told reporters.

The sixth-ranked 25-year-old has been stalked by injuries all season, costing him the chance to bag his first Grand Slam title.

He was two sets up to Murray in the Australian&nbsp;Open&nbsp;semis when he suffered a thigh injury, eventually losing in five.

The big-serving Canadian was also tipped to make a run for the crown at Flushing Meadows, but fell in the second round after again injuring himself on court.

Murray made quick work of Ferrer for a place in the finals.

The Spaniard had lost his previous six matches against Murray and failed to get a look in after the Scot went two breaks up in the first set.

(Agencies)

World number one Novak Djokovic had pulled out of the tournament due to injury

Top seed Andy Murray cruised past Spain's David Ferrer 6-2 6-3 on Saturday and Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov received a walkover into the China Open final after Milos Raonic withdrew due to an ankle injury. The 29-year-old Murray, who is yet to drop a set this week, sealed victory in one hour 31 minutes, his seventh successive win over fifth seed Ferrer. The big-serving Raonic was forced to play twice on Friday, beating Tunisia's Malek Jaziri and Pablo Carreno Busta to advance to the last four and he sustained the injury during the win over the Spaniard. "Yesterday during my second match in the evening, I rolled over my ankle, obviously caused it some level of a sprain," the Canadian told the ATP website. "I did a test this morning, which showed I had a partial tear on the outside of my ankle. I was told to give it a try. I tried to warm up just before the match like I would normally, and I was unable to play." Murray, through to the China Open final for the first time, has enjoyed one of the best years of his career, winning Wimbledon and the Olympic gold medal. World number one Novak Djokovic pulled out of the tournament due to injury. Raonic pulled out of his semi-final match a few hours before it was due to start. "Yesterday during my second match in the evening... I rolled over my ankle, obviously caused it some level of a sprain," Raonic told reporters. The sixth-ranked 25-year-old has been stalked by injuries all season, costing him the chance to bag his first Grand Slam title. He was two sets up to Murray in the Australian Open semis when he suffered a thigh injury, eventually losing in five. The big-serving Canadian was also tipped to make a run for the crown at Flushing Meadows, but fell in the second round after again injuring himself on court. Murray made quick work of Ferrer for a place in the finals. The Spaniard had lost his previous six matches against Murray and failed to get a look in after the Scot went two breaks up in the first set. (Agencies)

China Open: Murray, Dimitrov advance to final

Argentina ended Great Britain&#39;s reign as Davis Cup champions with substitute Leonardo Mayer&#39;s brilliant performance against Dan Evans.&nbsp; 
 
Mayer handed his side a 3-2 victory in the fifth rubber of the semi-finals on Sunday.&nbsp; 
 
Mayer was a late replacement for Juan Martin del Potro who won the match with a 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 scoreline.&nbsp; 
 
The 29-year-old secured Argentina&#39;s place in their first final since 2011.&nbsp; 
 
Argentina captain Daniel Orsanic said of Mayer: &quot;Leo has played very, very good matches, Davis Cup matches before, so he has that feeling in his, in his body and in his mind, even though he&#39;s out of the Top 100 players now and that&#39;s not his (true) level, he&#39;s much higher. So he showed it today.&quot; 
 
&quot;Mayer played with his best tennis and the tennis we are used to seeing that won a lot of Davis Cup matches in the past,&quot; Orsanic said justifying his decision to rest 27-year-old in-form del Potro.&nbsp; 
 
This is Mayer&#39;s 11th victory in 14 Davis Cup singles rubbers.&nbsp; 
 
Andy Murray had hauled Britain level in the tie with a straight sets victory over Guido Pella in the first reverse singles on Sunday. 
 
After that, Britain had pinned all its hopes on Evans, but sadly he could not finish the job.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;After the first set I wasn&#39;t in the match. There was quite a lot of pressure on my serve and he served unbelievably,&quot; a dejected Evans said. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not a nice feeling. It&#39;s pretty raw right now for everyone. You do feel like you are the one who lost the match for these guys.&quot; 
Argentina has secured a final showdown with Croatia, who had earlier beaten France 3-1. 
 
Four-time finalists Argentina will attempt to win their first Davis Cup when they travel to Croatia from November 25-27. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Leonardo Mayer fired Argentina into the Davis Cup final after his victory over Great Britain's Dan Evans

Argentina ended Great Britain's reign as Davis Cup champions with substitute Leonardo Mayer's brilliant performance against Dan Evans. Mayer handed his side a 3-2 victory in the fifth rubber of the semi-finals on Sunday. Mayer was a late replacement for Juan Martin del Potro who won the match with a 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 scoreline. The 29-year-old secured Argentina's place in their first final since 2011. Argentina captain Daniel Orsanic said of Mayer: "Leo has played very, very good matches, Davis Cup matches before, so he has that feeling in his, in his body and in his mind, even though he's out of the Top 100 players now and that's not his (true) level, he's much higher. So he showed it today." "Mayer played with his best tennis and the tennis we are used to seeing that won a lot of Davis Cup matches in the past," Orsanic said justifying his decision to rest 27-year-old in-form del Potro. This is Mayer's 11th victory in 14 Davis Cup singles rubbers. Andy Murray had hauled Britain level in the tie with a straight sets victory over Guido Pella in the first reverse singles on Sunday. After that, Britain had pinned all its hopes on Evans, but sadly he could not finish the job. "After the first set I wasn't in the match. There was quite a lot of pressure on my serve and he served unbelievably," a dejected Evans said. "It's not a nice feeling. It's pretty raw right now for everyone. You do feel like you are the one who lost the match for these guys." Argentina has secured a final showdown with Croatia, who had earlier beaten France 3-1. Four-time finalists Argentina will attempt to win their first Davis Cup when they travel to Croatia from November 25-27. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Davis Cup: Argentina beat defending champion Great Britain to reach finals

The Scottish siblings, Andy and Jamie Murray kept alive Great Britain&#39;s of retaining their Davis Cup title.&nbsp; 
 
The duo defeated Argentina&#39;s Juan Martin del Potro and Leonardo Mayer in an intense match in the doubles semi-final on Saturday.&nbsp; 
 
A terrific effort from the Murray brothers reduced the overall deficit to 2-1. &nbsp; 
 
Andy and his older brother Jamie secured a thrilling 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory in just under three hours on the hard court of the Emirates Arena in Glasgow. 
 
&quot;Yesterday was a very tough day. To come out and get the win with Jamie today was great. He played unbelievably well throughout the whole match. We are 2-1 down and it is a tough position to be in, but it is a better position that we were in at the beginning of the day and I still believe we can come back,&quot; three-time Grand Slam winner Andy said. 
 
&quot;We played a great match but we had to as those guys are playing really well too,&quot; said Jamie Murray. 
 
&quot;I think we should be proud of the way we played and competed from start to finish. We&rsquo;re back in the tie and gives us some momentum back in the tie going into tomorrow&#39;s matches.&quot; 
 
Great Britain took the first set comfortably in 26 minutes. Argentina broke serve to lead in the second and went on to level the match at one set all. 
 
The third set went with serve until the seventh game when Argentina moved in front with a break as Andy struggled with his first serve.&nbsp; 
 
But Britain broke back immediately with a clever return down the line from Jamie sealing the set.&nbsp; 
 
There was nothing to separate the sides in the fourth set which went with serve until the tenth game where the Murrays broke at the crucial moment to claim victory. 
 
The win by Britain sets up a fascinating third day with Andy having to fight Guido Pella in the first of Sunday&#39;s reverse singles. 
 
Argentina is&nbsp;looking to reach their fourth final in 10 years. But the side will need the claim the crucial point in Sunday&#39;s reverse singles rubbers before they find a place in the final. 
 
The winners of the tie will face France or Croatia in the final. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Andy and Jamie Murray battled Argentine duo in a thrilling four-set match to keep Great Britain in the running for the Davis Cup title

The Scottish siblings, Andy and Jamie Murray kept alive Great Britain's of retaining their Davis Cup title. The duo defeated Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro and Leonardo Mayer in an intense match in the doubles semi-final on Saturday. A terrific effort from the Murray brothers reduced the overall deficit to 2-1. Andy and his older brother Jamie secured a thrilling 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory in just under three hours on the hard court of the Emirates Arena in Glasgow. "Yesterday was a very tough day. To come out and get the win with Jamie today was great. He played unbelievably well throughout the whole match. We are 2-1 down and it is a tough position to be in, but it is a better position that we were in at the beginning of the day and I still believe we can come back," three-time Grand Slam winner Andy said. "We played a great match but we had to as those guys are playing really well too," said Jamie Murray. "I think we should be proud of the way we played and competed from start to finish. We’re back in the tie and gives us some momentum back in the tie going into tomorrow's matches." Great Britain took the first set comfortably in 26 minutes. Argentina broke serve to lead in the second and went on to level the match at one set all. The third set went with serve until the seventh game when Argentina moved in front with a break as Andy struggled with his first serve. But Britain broke back immediately with a clever return down the line from Jamie sealing the set. There was nothing to separate the sides in the fourth set which went with serve until the tenth game where the Murrays broke at the crucial moment to claim victory. The win by Britain sets up a fascinating third day with Andy having to fight Guido Pella in the first of Sunday's reverse singles. Argentina is looking to reach their fourth final in 10 years. But the side will need the claim the crucial point in Sunday's reverse singles rubbers before they find a place in the final. The winners of the tie will face France or Croatia in the final. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Murray brothers keep Britain afloat in Davis Cup

Andy Murray will miss his grandfather&#39;s funeral on Friday to play for Great Britain in the Davis Cup semi-final against Argentina in Glasgow. 
 
Andy&rsquo;s paternal grandfather, Gordon Murray, died last week at the age of 83. Andy missed Thursday&#39;s press conference, reportedly so he could attend a family gathering, but Jamie was present. 
 
Jamie Murray will only play in the doubles rubber on Saturday and will be able to go to the funeral. 
 
Andy Murray, the world number two, will team up with brother Jamie in Saturday&#39;s doubles, with the Scottish duo looking to make the most of the&nbsp;partisan home support against Federico Delbonis and Leonardo Mayer. 
 
Andy Murray will tackle Pella in Sunday&#39;s penultimate singles match before Edmund, who reached the fourth round at the US Open, and Del Potro to&nbsp;bring the curtain down. 
 
It means Andy Murray is set to be involved on all three days of the tie, despite the 29-year-old having already admitted to fatigue in a season where he as won both the Wimbledon and Olympic singles titles. 
 
But British Davis Cup captain Leon Smith backed his star player&#39;s match day fitness to come to the fore again. 
 
&quot;We saw last year in the semi-final against Australia, you could see Andy was fatigued and he still found a way to do it,&quot; said Smith. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s a very robust guy, both physically and mentally, so don&#39;t be surprised to see him do it.&quot; 
 
Del Potro followed his run to the Olympic final by getting to the last eight of the US Open. 
 
As for his upcoming encounter with Andy Murray, Del Potro said Thursday: &quot;I will try to do a different match from Rio. It&#39;s going to be really tough but I&#39;m looking forward to do the surprise. 
 
&quot;I will be fresh tomorrow and I know how my level is at this moment. I will try to play aggressive all the time. We&#39;ll see if I can give the first point to my team.&quot; 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

Gordon Murray, the father of Andy and Jamie Murray's father Willie, died last week

Andy Murray will miss his grandfather's funeral on Friday to play for Great Britain in the Davis Cup semi-final against Argentina in Glasgow. Andy’s paternal grandfather, Gordon Murray, died last week at the age of 83. Andy missed Thursday's press conference, reportedly so he could attend a family gathering, but Jamie was present. Jamie Murray will only play in the doubles rubber on Saturday and will be able to go to the funeral. Andy Murray, the world number two, will team up with brother Jamie in Saturday's doubles, with the Scottish duo looking to make the most of the partisan home support against Federico Delbonis and Leonardo Mayer. Andy Murray will tackle Pella in Sunday's penultimate singles match before Edmund, who reached the fourth round at the US Open, and Del Potro to bring the curtain down. It means Andy Murray is set to be involved on all three days of the tie, despite the 29-year-old having already admitted to fatigue in a season where he as won both the Wimbledon and Olympic singles titles. But British Davis Cup captain Leon Smith backed his star player's match day fitness to come to the fore again. "We saw last year in the semi-final against Australia, you could see Andy was fatigued and he still found a way to do it," said Smith. "He's a very robust guy, both physically and mentally, so don't be surprised to see him do it." Del Potro followed his run to the Olympic final by getting to the last eight of the US Open. As for his upcoming encounter with Andy Murray, Del Potro said Thursday: "I will try to do a different match from Rio. It's going to be really tough but I'm looking forward to do the surprise. "I will be fresh tomorrow and I know how my level is at this moment. I will try to play aggressive all the time. We'll see if I can give the first point to my team." (WION with inputs from AFP)

Murray to miss grandfather's funeral to play Davis Cup semi-final

Britain&#39;s Andy Murray lost to Japan&#39;s Kei Nishikori in a five-set thriller in the quarter-finals of the US Open on Wednesday, marking his earliest Grand Slam exit of the year.&nbsp; 
 
Sixth seed Nishikori beat Murray&nbsp;1-6 6-4 4-6 6-1 7-5 in three hours and 57 minutes. 
 
Murray started the match robustly, winning the first set in a 35-minute canter. He was looking dominant in the second set too before rain interrupted play.&nbsp; 
 
The rain break proved to be decisive as Nishikori upped his game for the remainder of the match. 
 
Nishikori later admitted that the rain break helped him more than his opponent. 
 
&quot;I didn&#39;t start well in the beginning - he has a great return - but I finished well. The rain delay helped me to change tactics. I tried to hit a few more drop-shots than usual today and it worked really well,&rdquo; Nishikori told BBC.&nbsp; 
 
He will face either Juan Martin del Potro or Stan Wawrinka in the next match.&nbsp; 
 
Although Murray said he could have won the match, he chose to look at the positive side.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I have also won some (matches) over the last few months I should have lost,&quot; he said. &quot;Against (American) Steve Johnson at the Olympics (quarter-finals) I was down a couple of times.&quot; 
 
&quot;I have not let anyone down. I tried my best. I fought as hard as I could with what I had today,&quot; he said. &quot;I&#39;m very proud of how I have done,&rdquo; the 29-year-old said.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The second seed Briton was a set up when a brief rain interruption gave Nishikori invaluable time to up his game

Britain's Andy Murray lost to Japan's Kei Nishikori in a five-set thriller in the quarter-finals of the US Open on Wednesday, marking his earliest Grand Slam exit of the year. Sixth seed Nishikori beat Murray 1-6 6-4 4-6 6-1 7-5 in three hours and 57 minutes. Murray started the match robustly, winning the first set in a 35-minute canter. He was looking dominant in the second set too before rain interrupted play. The rain break proved to be decisive as Nishikori upped his game for the remainder of the match. Nishikori later admitted that the rain break helped him more than his opponent. "I didn't start well in the beginning - he has a great return - but I finished well. The rain delay helped me to change tactics. I tried to hit a few more drop-shots than usual today and it worked really well,” Nishikori told BBC. He will face either Juan Martin del Potro or Stan Wawrinka in the next match. Although Murray said he could have won the match, he chose to look at the positive side. "I have also won some (matches) over the last few months I should have lost," he said. "Against (American) Steve Johnson at the Olympics (quarter-finals) I was down a couple of times." "I have not let anyone down. I tried my best. I fought as hard as I could with what I had today," he said. "I'm very proud of how I have done,” the 29-year-old said. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

US Open 2016: Andy Murray loses five-set thriller against Kei Nishikori

Of the eight British players in the main draw at the US Open, the most since 1985, five made it through to round two, with Andy Murray, Dan Evans and Naomi Broady joining Johanna Konta and Kyle Edmund in the last 64 on Tuesday. 
 
The quintet of survivors matches the best performance by British players at Flushing Meadows since 1987, when four women and one man made it through the first round. 
 
Second seed Murray, looking ominous in all black, was the last of the five to progress with a late-night 6-3 6-2 6-2 victory over Czech Lukas Rosol, effortlessly advancing without facing a single break point. 
 
&quot;I served very well,&quot; said Murray, who set up a second round encounter against Marcel Granollers of Spain. 
 
&quot;It was a tough start to the match, he had a few chances early on but once I got the break-up, I played well.&quot; 
Evans was ranked as low as 772 in May 2015 and still outside the top 300 when the U.S. Open began last August. 
 
A string of successes on the Challenger Tour carried him close to the top 100 and his 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-1 over the American Rajeev Ram is set to lift his ranking from 64 to inside the top 60, a new career-high. 
 
&quot;I would have taken your hand off,&quot; Evans responded when asked how he would have reacted had someone offered him a chance to be ranked this high at this stage of the year. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s been a pretty interesting year and I&#39;m happy with how it&#39;s been.&quot;
<h2>GETTING OLDER</h2>
Evans next plays 27th-seeded German Sascha Zverev, who at 19 is tipped as a future star of the men&#39;s game. 
World number 82 Broady earned only her second ever grand slam win with a gutsy 6-7 6-3 6-4 win over fellow Briton Laura Robson. 
 
The 26-year-old Broady recently broke into the world&#39;s top 100 and admitted she was a late bloomer. 
 
&quot;I think in British tennis they like to say that you&#39;re running out of time and you&#39;re playing catch-up and if you&#39;re not there by 18 then you&#39;re behind everybody else,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;But tennis is becoming more of a longevity sport there and the average age of the top 100 is getting older. 
 
&quot;I think I was 25 when I broke into it this year. I&#39;m still there and I maybe won&#39;t be in the top 100 as long as Laura has the potential to be but we&#39;ve not got the same career, so I&#39;ll just do the best with what I&#39;ve got.&quot; 
 
There was disappointment for Heather Watson, however, who suffered from a fever and back pain as she lost 6-2 7-5 to Dutch qualifier Richel Hogenkamp. 
 
The other British player in action, Aljaz Bedene, also suffered a straight sets defeat, with Australian 14th seed Nick Kyrgios proving too strong in a 6-4 6-4 6-4 victory. 
 
(Reuters)

Second seed Murray was the last of the five to progress with a late-night 6-3 6-2 6-2 victory over Rosol

Of the eight British players in the main draw at the US Open, the most since 1985, five made it through to round two, with Andy Murray, Dan Evans and Naomi Broady joining Johanna Konta and Kyle Edmund in the last 64 on Tuesday. The quintet of survivors matches the best performance by British players at Flushing Meadows since 1987, when four women and one man made it through the first round. Second seed Murray, looking ominous in all black, was the last of the five to progress with a late-night 6-3 6-2 6-2 victory over Czech Lukas Rosol, effortlessly advancing without facing a single break point. "I served very well," said Murray, who set up a second round encounter against Marcel Granollers of Spain. "It was a tough start to the match, he had a few chances early on but once I got the break-up, I played well." Evans was ranked as low as 772 in May 2015 and still outside the top 300 when the U.S. Open began last August. A string of successes on the Challenger Tour carried him close to the top 100 and his 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-1 over the American Rajeev Ram is set to lift his ranking from 64 to inside the top 60, a new career-high. "I would have taken your hand off," Evans responded when asked how he would have reacted had someone offered him a chance to be ranked this high at this stage of the year. "It's been a pretty interesting year and I'm happy with how it's been." GETTING OLDER Evans next plays 27th-seeded German Sascha Zverev, who at 19 is tipped as a future star of the men's game. World number 82 Broady earned only her second ever grand slam win with a gutsy 6-7 6-3 6-4 win over fellow Briton Laura Robson. The 26-year-old Broady recently broke into the world's top 100 and admitted she was a late bloomer. "I think in British tennis they like to say that you're running out of time and you're playing catch-up and if you're not there by 18 then you're behind everybody else," she said. "But tennis is becoming more of a longevity sport there and the average age of the top 100 is getting older. "I think I was 25 when I broke into it this year. I'm still there and I maybe won't be in the top 100 as long as Laura has the potential to be but we've not got the same career, so I'll just do the best with what I've got." There was disappointment for Heather Watson, however, who suffered from a fever and back pain as she lost 6-2 7-5 to Dutch qualifier Richel Hogenkamp. The other British player in action, Aljaz Bedene, also suffered a straight sets defeat, with Australian 14th seed Nick Kyrgios proving too strong in a 6-4 6-4 6-4 victory. (Reuters)

Murray flourishes in new conditions at US Open

Defending champion Novak Djokovic and two-time winner Rafel Nadal have been pitted in the same half of the draw, while number three seed Stanislas&nbsp;Wawrinka will potentially meet Olympic champion Andy Murray in the other semi-final. 
 
In the women&#39;s draw, world number one Serena Williams will be chasing history as she looks to win a modern-era record 23rd Grand Slam. 
 
Djokovic will be first up against the big-serving&nbsp;Jerzy Janowicz of Poland, a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2013. 
 
One of the most-viewed&nbsp;matches of round one at Flushing Meadows will be Murray&#39;s encounter with Lukas Rosol. The duo has had an acrimonious relationship, having been involved in an ill-tempered match in Munich last year.&nbsp; 
 
Fourth seed Nadal will open his campaign against&nbsp;Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan. 
 
Roger Federer&#39;s withdrawal from the event means that Wawrinka is seeded third in the competition. But the draw looks tricky on paper as he has to first dodge Spain&#39;s Fernando Verdasco and then clash with sport&#39;s bad boy Nick Kyrgios in the round of 16. 
 
Wawrinka would then potentially face the resurgent Juan Martin del Potro, who incidentally knocked him out of Wimbledon this year.&nbsp; 
 
Thirty four-year-old Serena&#39;s opening match will be against experienced campaigner&nbsp;Ekaterina Makarova of Russia, a former US Open semi-finalist.&nbsp; 
 
Second seed Angelique Kerber, the Australian&nbsp;Open&nbsp;champion, starts against Slovenia&#39;s Polona Hercog.

Third seed Garbine Muguruza of Spain, the reigning French&nbsp;Open&nbsp;champion, and fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland start against qualifiers. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

3rd seed Wawrinka will potentially meet Olympic champ Murray in the other semi-final. Serena will look to win a modern-era record 23rd Slam

Defending champion Novak Djokovic and two-time winner Rafel Nadal have been pitted in the same half of the draw, while number three seed Stanislas Wawrinka will potentially meet Olympic champion Andy Murray in the other semi-final. In the women's draw, world number one Serena Williams will be chasing history as she looks to win a modern-era record 23rd Grand Slam. Djokovic will be first up against the big-serving Jerzy Janowicz of Poland, a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2013. One of the most-viewed matches of round one at Flushing Meadows will be Murray's encounter with Lukas Rosol. The duo has had an acrimonious relationship, having been involved in an ill-tempered match in Munich last year. Fourth seed Nadal will open his campaign against Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan. Roger Federer's withdrawal from the event means that Wawrinka is seeded third in the competition. But the draw looks tricky on paper as he has to first dodge Spain's Fernando Verdasco and then clash with sport's bad boy Nick Kyrgios in the round of 16. Wawrinka would then potentially face the resurgent Juan Martin del Potro, who incidentally knocked him out of Wimbledon this year. Thirty four-year-old Serena's opening match will be against experienced campaigner Ekaterina Makarova of Russia, a former US Open semi-finalist. Second seed Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open champion, starts against Slovenia's Polona Hercog. Third seed Garbine Muguruza of Spain, the reigning French Open champion, and fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland start against qualifiers. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US Open: Djoko, Nadal set up for semi-final slugfest, Serena eyes record

Former US Open champ Marin Cilic snapped Andy Murray&#39;s 22 match win streak on Sunday to claim his first ATP Masters 1000 title with a 6-4, 7-5 win at the Cincinnati tournament. 
 
The 94-minute victory for the 27-year-old Croatian marked a career breakthrough as he earned his first Masters title on his 71st career attempt. 
 
&quot;This week is going to be remembered, it&#39;s really, really something special,&quot; said Cilic, who had seven aces and broke Murray three times. 
 
&quot;I look forward to the US Open in a couple of weeks. I hope we can continue with good form.&quot; 
 
Cilic accomplished the feat on little rest, as he did not leave the court after his semifinal win over Grigor Dimitrov until 2:00 am on Sunday morning due to rain delays. 
 
Olympic silver medalist Angelique Kerber lost to Czech Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-1 in the women&#39;s final of the joint WTA-ATP tournament. 
 
The defeat ended Kerber&#39;s chances of replacing Serena Williams as the No. 1 ranked player in the world. 
 
It was the German&#39;s the second defeat in a final in just over a week after losing to Monica Puig in the gold medal Rio match. 
 
&quot;I tried my best, but sometimes you have days where it&#39;s not working so good,&quot; Kerber said. 
 
Cincinnati is only Cilic&#39;s second title since winning the US Open two years ago. 
 
Murray has been on a tear this season, winning grass titles at Queen&#39;s and Wimbledon before triumphing a week ago over Juan Martin del Potro at the Olympic final. 
 
But the accumulation of tennis finally proved to be too much for the Scot, who played his 14th match in 15 days dating back to the Games. 
 
Cilic&#39;s win was his third against 11 losses to Murray. He is the lowest-ranked Cincinnati champion since number 17 Carlos Moya in 2002. 
 
Momentum mounted for Pliskova on a sunny day as she lifted the trophy after hitting 24 winners. 
 
&quot;The match was not as easy as the score looked. I think she might be a little bit tired or she felt a little bit of pressure on herself,&quot; Pliskova said. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m really happy with my game today. I was playing aggressive almost without mistakes. There was not one thing what I would change in this match.&quot; 
 
The Czech, who now owns seven career titles and stands 3-4 against Kerber, claimed the opening set in 32 minutes and needed 62 minutes in total to complete her role as spoiler. 
 
Pliskova is the first Czech to win the Cincinnati trophy. She finished with seven aces and five breaks of Kerber. 
 
She earned her second title of the season after claiming the honours in June on grass at the Aegon Open in Great Britain and is predicted to rise to 11th in the world. 
 
Kerber fell into a 5-1 deficit in the second set after a double-fault. Pliskova served out the biggest win of her career a game later on a second match point. 
 
Kerber is looking forward to the US Open which begins in eight days. 
 
&quot;This season I won my first grand slam, everything what&#39;s happened in the last months is just incredible. I&#39;m trying to enjoy it,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;Some days you&#39;re losing matches, some days you win. I&#39;ll try to take the positive things from the match and from the last few weeks to New York,&quot; she said in reference to the upcoming US Open, the year&#39;s final Grand Slam Tournament. 
 
(AFP)

The 94-minute victory for the 27-year-old Croatian marked a career breakthrough as he earned his first Masters title in his 71st attempt

Former US Open champ Marin Cilic snapped Andy Murray's 22 match win streak on Sunday to claim his first ATP Masters 1000 title with a 6-4, 7-5 win at the Cincinnati tournament. The 94-minute victory for the 27-year-old Croatian marked a career breakthrough as he earned his first Masters title on his 71st career attempt. "This week is going to be remembered, it's really, really something special," said Cilic, who had seven aces and broke Murray three times. "I look forward to the US Open in a couple of weeks. I hope we can continue with good form." Cilic accomplished the feat on little rest, as he did not leave the court after his semifinal win over Grigor Dimitrov until 2:00 am on Sunday morning due to rain delays. Olympic silver medalist Angelique Kerber lost to Czech Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-1 in the women's final of the joint WTA-ATP tournament. The defeat ended Kerber's chances of replacing Serena Williams as the No. 1 ranked player in the world. It was the German's the second defeat in a final in just over a week after losing to Monica Puig in the gold medal Rio match. "I tried my best, but sometimes you have days where it's not working so good," Kerber said. Cincinnati is only Cilic's second title since winning the US Open two years ago. Murray has been on a tear this season, winning grass titles at Queen's and Wimbledon before triumphing a week ago over Juan Martin del Potro at the Olympic final. But the accumulation of tennis finally proved to be too much for the Scot, who played his 14th match in 15 days dating back to the Games. Cilic's win was his third against 11 losses to Murray. He is the lowest-ranked Cincinnati champion since number 17 Carlos Moya in 2002. Momentum mounted for Pliskova on a sunny day as she lifted the trophy after hitting 24 winners. "The match was not as easy as the score looked. I think she might be a little bit tired or she felt a little bit of pressure on herself," Pliskova said. "I'm really happy with my game today. I was playing aggressive almost without mistakes. There was not one thing what I would change in this match." The Czech, who now owns seven career titles and stands 3-4 against Kerber, claimed the opening set in 32 minutes and needed 62 minutes in total to complete her role as spoiler. Pliskova is the first Czech to win the Cincinnati trophy. She finished with seven aces and five breaks of Kerber. She earned her second title of the season after claiming the honours in June on grass at the Aegon Open in Great Britain and is predicted to rise to 11th in the world. Kerber fell into a 5-1 deficit in the second set after a double-fault. Pliskova served out the biggest win of her career a game later on a second match point. Kerber is looking forward to the US Open which begins in eight days. "This season I won my first grand slam, everything what's happened in the last months is just incredible. I'm trying to enjoy it," she said. "Some days you're losing matches, some days you win. I'll try to take the positive things from the match and from the last few weeks to New York," she said in reference to the upcoming US Open, the year's final Grand Slam Tournament. (AFP)

Tennis: Cilic snaps Murray's 22-match win streak, claims Cincinnati title

Andy Murray became the first player to win two Olympic tennis singles gold medals yesterday when he defeated Argentina&#39;s Juan Martin del Potro 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in an epic final. 
 
The final will go down as one of the best in the Olympics, lasting over four hours and ending with both men embracing at the net. He ended with 10 aces and 46 crunching winners, while del Potro smashed 39 winners but was undone by 57 unforced errors. 
 
Played out against a background of deafening noise generated by a legion of passionate, screaming Argentine fans, Murray admitted the final had pushed him to the limit. 
 
&quot;It was probably one of the hardest matches I have had to play to win a big final,&quot; said the British star, who added Rio gold to his 2012 London Olympic title and Grand Slam collection of the 2012 US Open and 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon crowns.&nbsp;It also stretched the 29-year-old&#39;s current winning streak to 18. 
 
&quot;This was tough emotionally and physically, there were lots of ups and downs. This was much harder to win than London four years ago. The final then was more straightforward. Tonight anything could have happened,&quot; he said. &quot;I am very tired. We played four hours on a slow court which meant a lot of running. It was very humid and I served badly. All of that made the match tougher than it was already. But I managed to get the breaks of serve and then served well at the right moments.&quot; 
 
Murray said he was proud of his achievement, especially as it was sealed in a final which featured 15 breaks of serve and ended with both men exhausted and exchanging a lengthy embrace at the net. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s very hard to win two golds, I am proud to be the first, but it hasn&#39;t been easy. Lots can happen in four years. I have had back surgery since I won in London, I had tough times on court.&quot; 
 
With two golds in the bag, Murray refused to entertain thoughts of a third gold at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.&nbsp;&quot;I will be 33 in four years time, I don&#39;t know if I will still be playing at the same level then. I am happy to still be here and still playing.&quot; 
 
Del Potro, a bronze medallist in London four years ago, was inconsolable at the end, weeping as he sat courtside.&nbsp;The Argentine has fought his way back to the top after undergoing three surgeries. 
 
&quot;What he&#39;s had to go through over the last three years or so with his wrists, I can&#39;t imagine how mentally difficult that would have been, how frustrating that would have been for him,&quot; added Murray.&nbsp;&quot;To get himself back to playing at this level, fighting for the biggest events and competing against the greatest players in the world is an amazing credit to him. He should be very proud of his efforts.&quot; 
 
 
Brink of retirement 
 
Murray took a 5-2 career advantage over 2012 bronze medallist del Potro into the final and he was quickly in the ascendancy, breaking for a 2-0 lead. 
 
Del Potro, who was pushed to the brink of retirement last year after undergoing the wrist surgeries, was slow out of the blocks. That was hardly a surprise for a player who had defeated two of the top three seeds to make the final, starting with Novak Djokovic in the first round and then winning a three-hour epic to beat Rafael Nadal in Saturday&#39;s semi-finals. But he soon found his range, breaking in the third game before handing the advantage straight back, allowing Murray to stretch out to a 4-1 lead. 
 
Backed by vociferous Argentine support, all proudly sporting the sky blue and white shirts of their national football team, the 1.98m (6 foot 6 inch) giant clawed his back in the seventh game. But Murray was the more assertive in the closing stages, claiming the opener in the 12th game on a second set point with a pinpoint, down-the-line backhand after 74 minutes on court. 
 
Murray saved a break point in the first game of the second set with a sweet drop shot which del Potro was unable to reach despite a desperate scramble from the back of the court. 
 
The 2009 US Open champion slumped, head down on the net for a few moments to catch his breath. It did the trick as he soon unleashed a monster backhand to secure the break at the second opportunity. 
 
The final was all level in the 10th game as del Potro converted on a fourth set point, shrugging off a time violation from umpire Pascal Maria.&nbsp;The big Argentine was looking increasingly weary and he lost serve in the sixth game of the third set, allowing the British world number three to move ahead again, sealing the set with a cross-court forehand. 
 
Del Potro fought valiantly on, breaking for 2-1 in the fourth set, courtesy of a close combat exchange at the net but lacking the stamina to back it up and Murray was soon on level terms at 2-2. 
 
In a dramatic passage of play, the South American was another break to the good but faltered when he served for the set in the 10th game. Murray saved two break points for a 6-5 lead.&nbsp;In the dramatic conclusion, two Argentine fans were escorted out of the arena before Murray took victory on a second match point when del Potro netted a backhand. 
 
(AFP)

'It was probably one of the hardest matches' said Murray, refusing to entertain thoughts of a third gold at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo

Andy Murray became the first player to win two Olympic tennis singles gold medals yesterday when he defeated Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in an epic final. The final will go down as one of the best in the Olympics, lasting over four hours and ending with both men embracing at the net. He ended with 10 aces and 46 crunching winners, while del Potro smashed 39 winners but was undone by 57 unforced errors. Played out against a background of deafening noise generated by a legion of passionate, screaming Argentine fans, Murray admitted the final had pushed him to the limit. "It was probably one of the hardest matches I have had to play to win a big final," said the British star, who added Rio gold to his 2012 London Olympic title and Grand Slam collection of the 2012 US Open and 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon crowns. It also stretched the 29-year-old's current winning streak to 18. "This was tough emotionally and physically, there were lots of ups and downs. This was much harder to win than London four years ago. The final then was more straightforward. Tonight anything could have happened," he said. "I am very tired. We played four hours on a slow court which meant a lot of running. It was very humid and I served badly. All of that made the match tougher than it was already. But I managed to get the breaks of serve and then served well at the right moments." Murray said he was proud of his achievement, especially as it was sealed in a final which featured 15 breaks of serve and ended with both men exhausted and exchanging a lengthy embrace at the net. "It's very hard to win two golds, I am proud to be the first, but it hasn't been easy. Lots can happen in four years. I have had back surgery since I won in London, I had tough times on court." With two golds in the bag, Murray refused to entertain thoughts of a third gold at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. "I will be 33 in four years time, I don't know if I will still be playing at the same level then. I am happy to still be here and still playing." Del Potro, a bronze medallist in London four years ago, was inconsolable at the end, weeping as he sat courtside. The Argentine has fought his way back to the top after undergoing three surgeries. "What he's had to go through over the last three years or so with his wrists, I can't imagine how mentally difficult that would have been, how frustrating that would have been for him," added Murray. "To get himself back to playing at this level, fighting for the biggest events and competing against the greatest players in the world is an amazing credit to him. He should be very proud of his efforts." Brink of retirement Murray took a 5-2 career advantage over 2012 bronze medallist del Potro into the final and he was quickly in the ascendancy, breaking for a 2-0 lead. Del Potro, who was pushed to the brink of retirement last year after undergoing the wrist surgeries, was slow out of the blocks. That was hardly a surprise for a player who had defeated two of the top three seeds to make the final, starting with Novak Djokovic in the first round and then winning a three-hour epic to beat Rafael Nadal in Saturday's semi-finals. But he soon found his range, breaking in the third game before handing the advantage straight back, allowing Murray to stretch out to a 4-1 lead. Backed by vociferous Argentine support, all proudly sporting the sky blue and white shirts of their national football team, the 1.98m (6 foot 6 inch) giant clawed his back in the seventh game. But Murray was the more assertive in the closing stages, claiming the opener in the 12th game on a second set point with a pinpoint, down-the-line backhand after 74 minutes on court. Murray saved a break point in the first game of the second set with a sweet drop shot which del Potro was unable to reach despite a desperate scramble from the back of the court. The 2009 US Open champion slumped, head down on the net for a few moments to catch his breath. It did the trick as he soon unleashed a monster backhand to secure the break at the second opportunity. The final was all level in the 10th game as del Potro converted on a fourth set point, shrugging off a time violation from umpire Pascal Maria. The big Argentine was looking increasingly weary and he lost serve in the sixth game of the third set, allowing the British world number three to move ahead again, sealing the set with a cross-court forehand. Del Potro fought valiantly on, breaking for 2-1 in the fourth set, courtesy of a close combat exchange at the net but lacking the stamina to back it up and Murray was soon on level terms at 2-2. In a dramatic passage of play, the South American was another break to the good but faltered when he served for the set in the 10th game. Murray saved two break points for a 6-5 lead. In the dramatic conclusion, two Argentine fans were escorted out of the arena before Murray took victory on a second match point when del Potro netted a backhand. (AFP)

Rio Olympics 2016: Murray becomes first ever tennis player to win two golds

Britain&#39;s Andy Murray advanced to the men&#39;s Olympic final with a straight sets victory over Japan&#39;s Kei Nishikori today, securing a chance to defend his title and become the first player to win back-to-back singles golds at the Games. 
 
In a commanding performance, the Wimbledon champion and number two ranked player broke Nishikori&#39;s serve early on, breezing through the first set 6-1. After another service break early in the second set, Murray closed out the match 6-1 6-4. 
 
Though Nishikori&#39;s speed allowed him to punch back against Murray&#39;s blazing ground strokes, the Japanese player was plagued by too many unforced errors and could not break Murray&#39;s serve. 
 
In Sunday&#39;s gold medal match, the 29-year-old Briton will face either Spain&#39;s Rafa Nadal or Argentina&#39;s Juan Martin del Potro, who play later on Saturday. 
 
Murray won gold at the 2012 London Games where he defeated Switzerland&#39;s Roger Federer in the final. 
 
But the Briton will have his work cut out for him on Sunday. Del Potro, the bronze medallist in London, has drawn energy from boisterous crowds of fans from neighbouring Argentina at the Games. He pulled off an upset by defeating world number one Novak Djokovic in the first round in Rio. 
 
Nadal, who has been beset by a wrist injury, also appears to have returned to form. He claimed a gold medal for Spain in men&#39;s doubles with partner Marc Lopez on Friday. 
 
If Nadal makes the final he will have a chance to become the first player since 1924 to win a gold medal in both men&#39;s singles and doubles at a Games. 
 
(Reuters)

In tomorrow's gold medal match, the 29-year-old Briton will face either Spain's Rafa Nadal or Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro

Britain's Andy Murray advanced to the men's Olympic final with a straight sets victory over Japan's Kei Nishikori today, securing a chance to defend his title and become the first player to win back-to-back singles golds at the Games. In a commanding performance, the Wimbledon champion and number two ranked player broke Nishikori's serve early on, breezing through the first set 6-1. After another service break early in the second set, Murray closed out the match 6-1 6-4. Though Nishikori's speed allowed him to punch back against Murray's blazing ground strokes, the Japanese player was plagued by too many unforced errors and could not break Murray's serve. In Sunday's gold medal match, the 29-year-old Briton will face either Spain's Rafa Nadal or Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro, who play later on Saturday. Murray won gold at the 2012 London Games where he defeated Switzerland's Roger Federer in the final. But the Briton will have his work cut out for him on Sunday. Del Potro, the bronze medallist in London, has drawn energy from boisterous crowds of fans from neighbouring Argentina at the Games. He pulled off an upset by defeating world number one Novak Djokovic in the first round in Rio. Nadal, who has been beset by a wrist injury, also appears to have returned to form. He claimed a gold medal for Spain in men's doubles with partner Marc Lopez on Friday. If Nadal makes the final he will have a chance to become the first player since 1924 to win a gold medal in both men's singles and doubles at a Games. (Reuters)

Rio Olympics 2016: Murray advances to final to defend London gold

Adjusting quickly to the Olympic atmosphere and its unfamiliar environment will be key for Andy Murray as he bids to defend the title he won in London four years ago, the world number two has said. 
 
The Scot, who beat Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer en route to gold in 2012, is representing Britain in the men&#39;s singles in Rio and will also partner his brother Jamie in the men&#39;s doubles. 
 
&quot;Here it&#39;s totally different conditions, different venue, different country, so I&#39;ll try and treat it like any other tournament and prepare as best I can,&quot; he told reporters. 
 
&quot;I remember when I was in Beijing (in 2008), the whole atmosphere surrounding an Olympics is different because you&#39;re around loads of the best athletes in the world. 
 
&quot;It was just nice being surrounded by the best athletes from your country, seeing them coming back with medals, it feels a lot more like a team environment.&quot; 
 
Half of the men&#39;s top 10 will miss this month&#39;s Olympics. World number four Stan Wawrinka pulled out with an injury on Tuesday, joining his Switzerland team mate Federer in sitting out the Games. 
 
Other notable absentees include Canadian Milos Raonic and Czech Republic&#39;s Tomas Berdych, who withdrew citing concerns over the Zika virus, and Austrian Dominic Thiem, who has decided to focus on the ATP Tour. 
 
Murray, however, said the competition would still be fierce. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s still a pretty strong field, a lot of the top-20 players are here even if unfortunately there&#39;s a few of the top 10 missing,&quot; the 29-year-old added. 
 
The tennis competition at the Rio Games takes place from Aug. 6-14. 
 
(Reuters)

'Here it's totally different conditions, different venue, different country, so I'll try and treat it like any other tournament'

Adjusting quickly to the Olympic atmosphere and its unfamiliar environment will be key for Andy Murray as he bids to defend the title he won in London four years ago, the world number two has said. The Scot, who beat Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer en route to gold in 2012, is representing Britain in the men's singles in Rio and will also partner his brother Jamie in the men's doubles. "Here it's totally different conditions, different venue, different country, so I'll try and treat it like any other tournament and prepare as best I can," he told reporters. "I remember when I was in Beijing (in 2008), the whole atmosphere surrounding an Olympics is different because you're around loads of the best athletes in the world. "It was just nice being surrounded by the best athletes from your country, seeing them coming back with medals, it feels a lot more like a team environment." Half of the men's top 10 will miss this month's Olympics. World number four Stan Wawrinka pulled out with an injury on Tuesday, joining his Switzerland team mate Federer in sitting out the Games. Other notable absentees include Canadian Milos Raonic and Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych, who withdrew citing concerns over the Zika virus, and Austrian Dominic Thiem, who has decided to focus on the ATP Tour. Murray, however, said the competition would still be fierce. "It's still a pretty strong field, a lot of the top-20 players are here even if unfortunately there's a few of the top 10 missing," the 29-year-old added. The tennis competition at the Rio Games takes place from Aug. 6-14. (Reuters)

Rio 2016: Andy Murray bids to defend title he won in London four years ago

Swiss world number three Roger Federer and Spanish world number four Rafael Nadal have joined Wimbledon champion Andy Murray to pull out of next week&#39;s Toronto Masters tennis tournament. 
 
Federer, a 17-times grand slam champion who won the Canadian stop in 2004 and 2006, said he needed more time off after his bid for a record-extending 18th grand slam title ended in the Wimbledon semi-finals earlier this month. 
 
&quot;Looking ahead, it is best for me that I take more time after Wimbledon. I look forward to coming back to Canada next year,&quot; the 34-year-old said.&nbsp; 
 
Federer will seek his third Olympic medal at next month&#39;s Rio Games. His competition, Wimbledon winner Andy Murray, too had said he would not defend his Rogers Cup title so he can rest before defending his Olympic singles crown in Rio, only a day before Federer&#39;s announcement. &nbsp;Nadal, who has 14 Grand Slam titles, has been out of action since pulling out of the French Open following his second-round match with a wrist injury, said he was not fit enough to return to competition. 
 
The 30-year-old Spaniard, a three-times winner of the Rogers Cup tournament that alternates each year between Toronto and Montreal, was only recently given clearance to compete in Rio despite not fulfilling the qualification criteria.&nbsp;&quot;I only started practicing a week ago after my wrist injury and I am not ready to play such an important event,&quot; said Nadal. 
 
That leaves Serbian world No.1 Novak Djokovic, who suffered a shock third-round defeat to American Sam Querrey at Wimbledon, as the only member of tennis &quot;&#39;big four&quot; taking part in the Toronto event which runs from July 25 to July 31.&nbsp;The &quot;big four&quot; are expected to take part in the Rio Olympic Games, which start on August 5. 
 
(Reuters)

The tennis stars join Wimbledon winner Andy Murray, citing the need to heal in advance of the Rio Olympics

Swiss world number three Roger Federer and Spanish world number four Rafael Nadal have joined Wimbledon champion Andy Murray to pull out of next week's Toronto Masters tennis tournament. Federer, a 17-times grand slam champion who won the Canadian stop in 2004 and 2006, said he needed more time off after his bid for a record-extending 18th grand slam title ended in the Wimbledon semi-finals earlier this month. "Looking ahead, it is best for me that I take more time after Wimbledon. I look forward to coming back to Canada next year," the 34-year-old said. Federer will seek his third Olympic medal at next month's Rio Games. His competition, Wimbledon winner Andy Murray, too had said he would not defend his Rogers Cup title so he can rest before defending his Olympic singles crown in Rio, only a day before Federer's announcement. Nadal, who has 14 Grand Slam titles, has been out of action since pulling out of the French Open following his second-round match with a wrist injury, said he was not fit enough to return to competition. The 30-year-old Spaniard, a three-times winner of the Rogers Cup tournament that alternates each year between Toronto and Montreal, was only recently given clearance to compete in Rio despite not fulfilling the qualification criteria. "I only started practicing a week ago after my wrist injury and I am not ready to play such an important event," said Nadal. That leaves Serbian world No.1 Novak Djokovic, who suffered a shock third-round defeat to American Sam Querrey at Wimbledon, as the only member of tennis "'big four" taking part in the Toronto event which runs from July 25 to July 31. The "big four" are expected to take part in the Rio Olympic Games, which start on August 5. (Reuters)

Federer and Nadal pull out of Toronto Masters tournament

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