Andy Murray rated his serve as `pants` on Tuesday but was still optimistic about reaching the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour Finals despite being out-hit and out-foxed by Roger Federer.
|Last Updated: Nov 25, 2009, 09:54 AM IST|Source: Bureau
London: Andy Murray rated his serve as `pants` on Tuesday but was still optimistic about reaching the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour Finals despite being out-hit and out-foxed by Roger Federer.
The British number one had high hopes of notching up his second successive round-robin victory at the season ending tournament as he took a 6-3 head-to-head record against Federer into the Group A match.
But after almost two hours of action, it was not hometown favourite Murray who was holding aloft his arms under the spotlight to lap up the applause of 17,500 hollering fans.
"It was probably the most double faults I served in a match maybe this year in the first set... I served pants," said the 22-year-old Murray following his defeat.
"I made more mistakes than normal. I just didn`t play well," added the Briton, whose misfiring serve produced eight double faults. "I served so poorly that anyone would have looked good against me tonight."Murray, who was out for almost two months with a wrist injury following his run to the US Open fourth round in September, admitted he had yet to regain full fitness but was relying on the Finals` round-robin format to make sure he extended his stay at the O2 Arena to this weekend.
"The one thing that`s been a problem for me since I came back was I played wellish first set of the matches. Then when the adrenaline wears off, there`s not quite the same spark in the legs that there was at the start of the year," said Murray, who has won a Tour-leading six titles in 2009."The only important thing is to try and qualify from the group. Whether you win one match, three matches, two matches. Last year I won three (round robin matches but) lost in the semis," added the world number four, who will face-off with Fernando Verdasco on Thursday in his final group match.
"This year I could potentially lose two matches and win the tournament."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.