Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic will be facing each other for the 36th time in their careers when they battle for the Qatar ExxonMobil Open title on Saturday evening.
Djokovic is leading the head-to-head series 24-11, including 13-3 in their last 16 meetings dating back to the start of 2014 and 5-2 in their last seven dating back to the fall of 2015. The Serb also won their two Grand Slam finals last season (Australian Open and French Open), but it was Murray who got the last laugh at the World Tour Finals. In the first-ever final match between No. 1 and No. 2 that would determine the year-end top spot, Murray defeated Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 to triumph in London.
The new world No. 1 has won eight of his last 10 tournaments, a stretch that includes the 2016 Rio Olympics and Masters 1000 events in Shanghai and Paris. He has extended his winning streak to 28 matches with straight-set victories in Doha over Jeremy Chardy, Gerald Melzer, Nicolas Almagro, and Tomas Berdych.
Djokovic slumped after beating Murray at Roland Garros, throwing away the top ranking just as much as Murray stole it from him. This week’s No. 2 seed has been trying to get back on track, but it has not been easy. Following routine defeats of Jan-Lennard Struff, Horacio Zeballos, and Radek Stepanek, Djokovic recovered from quadruple match point down and saved five match points in total to stun Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-3 in Friday’s semifinals.
“Playing already in the finals of the first event definitely serves as a great confidence incentive,” the 12-time major champion said. “Obviously this is exactly what I hoped that I [could] achieve–to get to the finals. I’m hoping I can play on a high level and we can compete as we always did against each other. We always have very physical battles, long rallies, (and) entertaining matches. Between No. 1 and No. 2 in the world, it’s a perfect matchup for the final. Let’s see what happens.”
This is a rare instance in which Murray goes in as the favorite–which he is doing not simply based on his No. 1 ranking. The Scot has cruised in Doha, where Djokovic had to be let off the hook by Verdasco in order to survive. Roles were reversed last fall in London, where Murray needed three hours and 38 minutes (and saved one match point) to outlast Milos Raonic in the semis before Djokovic hammered Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-1 in one hour and six minutes. None of that turned out to matter in the title match.
Now the challenger, Djokovic is no stranger to exacting revenge on his friendly foe. In fact, he has not lost back-to-back matches to Murray since the summer of 2012 (Olympic semifinals and U.S. Open final). Look for Djokovic, in typical fashion, to raise his level dramatically from what was on display against Verdasco.
Pick: Djokovic in 3
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Djokosmash for a third championship point.
Nole works the crowd.
Back to deuce.
Nole is the new Versaaco.
To me Murray has been the better player in the second set.
Welcome back VR!
Murray breaks back!!!
thanks Hawkeye! will discuss Rafa’s match too 😉
Murray with another break point now.
Wow.. that forehand to break was sick. 5-5
Yep. Nole let him back in but Murray played great to take advantage.
This is incredibly good now. What a rally!
That was a Delpo like CC forehand from Andy! He is playing like the world no.1 at the moment!
Andy did well to fight off those match points. He has really brought it when he needed it.
Now he has to hold here,
Wow! Point penalty on Novak for smashing his racket again!
That gave Murray the hold. Novak has lost it.
hi there NNY! good to see you posting,
Incredible tennis from Murray!!!
Murray finally wakes up now! Wow, what a passing shot! Good to see him fighting back, hope he wins the second set at least. Hes good at the net, should move up there more.
indeed! he is playing great now.
Gosh Murray is getting so much penetration on his inside-out forehand! If he continue to do that, he will be extremely hard to beat.
Meanwhile, Djokovic breaks his racket and loses the next point as penalty! did he break another one earlier?
I would love to see Murray win this second set and push it to a third set.
The commies just said that Novak was warned in the first set after hitting a ball into the stands when he got frustrated. Therefore, this second incident incurred a point penalty at the worst time.
we’re going 3 boys
And girls.
Great DTL backhand from Murray to get set points!
Nah. Tapped the ball im frustration and hit a spectator but it was soft.
Well it earned him a warning regardless and that was what set up the second call with smashing his racket and getting the point penalty.
It’s all up to the umpire when it comes to warnings. The fact is that Novak fell apart when he was serving for the match and that doesn’t happen that often with him.
Novak has to be careful with himself now in the match. He cannot afford to lose his cool again.
You kind of get the sense of how much it means to Novak to reassert himself.
if you break a racket it is automatic penalty
not up to the ump
shoddy from Novak at the net and Murray is too good to miss at the moment
1 saved
Nole loses a point and game on a violation but I’m glad to see him play with heart again.
Regardless who wins today.
They’re both playing at a high level now. Man Murray has just come up with incredible stuff last few games. Loved it when he did the crowd thing with his hands in response to Djokovic doing it a few points before. And the point penalty lol. I think Murray will win now. Wow another unbelievable point. This has gone from an ok match to an awesome one. Great tennis from both guys.
Murray with such touch at the net and a clap from Nole.
Great ccbh winner now 15-30.
Murray wins the second set!
Another bh winner for double set point.
That was flawless from Murray. Don’t think it would have mattered who was at the other side of the net. He was that good in the last few games. 7-5 to Murray!
Nole saves the first.
What a great aggressive brand of tennis Murray is playing now. He’s back. Imagine Djokovic saving five match points to beat Verdasco then losing three match points in a loss to Murray.
Murray hitting more winners in a set is actually a very very telling stat of how the dynamics are tilting little by little in their rivalry. Murray has some good patterns going his way in rallies.
Yes! Well done Murray!
Murray clearly the better player at the net, and better player in set two. Now we really have a match. I thought Murray was playing too defensive in set one, good to see he’s playing some incredible tennis to fight back.
Murray has the momentum but needs to hold here in his first service game.
Very nice from Murray with the volley at the net to hold.
They just showed the moment in the first set where he hit the ball and it went into the stands. That was why he got the warning. Not about how hard he hit it, but the issue being that when you hit a ball into the stands, you can hit a spectator.
Moving to the net is such a great option for these guys. Honestly they have multiple chances to come to the net in rallies but there is so much reluctance. Murray is a lot better at the net so he should be more willing. It is working so well for him as well!