David Ferrer and Andy Murray will renew their friendly but high-stakes rivalry when they face each other again on Saturday in Valencia. The winner will book a spot in the title match and take a huge step toward the World Tour Finals.
David Ferrer and Andy Murray will be squaring off for the 15th time in their careers and for the third time in the last 17 days when they meet again in the Valencia Open semifinals on Saturday. Murray leads the head-to-head series 8-6, including 7-2 on hard courts. However, they have split their two previous fall-swing encounters; Ferrer prevailed 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 in Shanghai before Murray triumphed 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 in last week’s Vienna final.
More than just a berth in the Valencia title match will be at stake in this one. Murray and Ferrer are currently eighth and ninth in the race to the World Tour Finals, respectively. The loser will be no better than ninth after this week while Murray could climb as high as fifth and Ferrer could reach No. 6 with a title. Both, though, are in good shape to qualify regardless of Saturday’s result thanks to Rafael Nadal’s likely withdrawal and Milos Raonic’s Basel quarterfinal loss to David Goffin.
Murray’s status for London has been questionable throughout the 2014 campaign. The 10th-ranked Scot underwent back surgery in 2013 and was slow to get going this season, but he is once again showing his best form. So far this fall, Murray has won titles in Shenzhen and Vienna and he booked his spot in this week’s semis by taking out Jurgen Melzer, Fabio Fognini, and Kevin Anderson.
Ferrer has been consistently solid but unspectacular this year. He, too, is playing some of his best tennis this fall. The 32-year-old Spaniard reached the quarterfinals in Shanghai, finished runner-up to Murray in Vienna, and he boasts Valencia victories over Andreas Seppi, Fernando Verdasco, and Thomaz Bellucci.
“It’s going to be a tough match,” said Ferrer. “Tomorrow is a very important match for both players. I will try to do my best because whoever wins tomorrow will have a lot of options to be in London.”
“[It] will be an important match, as was last week and also in Shanghai,” Murray assured. “But even if I don’t win the tournament this week, I will still have an opportunity in Paris if I play well there.”
The two-time Grand Slam champion may have to do just that, because a very difficult test awaits him on Saturday. Ferrer has home-court advantage–in his hometown, no less–and the court is not playing fast. The No. 1 seed was especially impressive in the quarters, whereas Murray struggled, so Ferrer should be able to turn the tide of this rivalry back in his favor.
Pick: Ferrer in 3
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Hate to say, having watching a very tired Muzz today. that I don’t see him getting past David tomorrow. In fact, David would have beaten Muzz today let alone tomorrow. I know muzz can look dead on court and still surprise by how energy he has left, but there was no exeggeration today, he really did look nearly dead on his feet. A quick defeat may even act in muzz’s favour tomorrow, with the Paris Masters in mind.
Can’t believe I’m writing this, but David in 2, 7-6, 6-2.
probs a good pick
Hi there Alex!. Agree with most of your comments although I doubt Daveed will let the first set get to a TB. Muzza treated us to the full repertoire yesterday including looking like he’d been dragged out of bed to play against his will and doing a good impression of a man who couldn’t be bothered about the result. He stopped short of hitting his knuckles till they bled!
Ferrer in 2
We’re on the same stream, ed. I swithered over the 7-6 but eventually plumped for for the TB wouldn’t be muzz if there wasn’t some measure of the unexpected. I also swithered over set 2 being a breadstick or bagel 🙁
And yes, yesterday was painful – have to say I’d rather see muzz out quickly than have to endure much more of that kind of ‘entertainment’. Oh yes, and Hi !!
Suddenly Valencia is more interesting for me…………
Both Ferru and A.Murray have qualified for WTF:https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B0xywzmCAAAR4Yp.png
As of today, no?
Are you saying Paris results would not change the situation e.g. if Raonic went deep and Ferrer and Murray went out early.
ed251137 ( at 10:30 am)
I was wrong! Raonic will play in Paris and can eliminate one of them!
Raaonic is already ahead of Dimitrov.
If Dimitrov doesn’t make the semis, he will eliminate himself.
Muzza through to the final…………
Andy decided he really would like to play at the O2 after all 🙂
Unbelievable what a difference 24 hours can make.
I think he has made that very clear in the last month or so. Just as well, with Rafa out WTF would really take a knock in shine if Muzza was also absent.
Wow, muzz still surprising me after all these years!
@Ricky, Ed … Deuce would never have let me away with my negative expectation 😉
^^^She’ll be cowering behind the sofa nevertheless 😉
Congrats to Tommy for his win over Chardy in straight sets, both tiebreaks. That was Tommy’s 500th ATP match win. So, it’ll be Tommy vs Andy tomorrow.
rematch of the nightmare!
Shades of Shenzhen. Andy has just won the second set tie-break and it’s onto a 3rd set vs Tommy.
This is turning into one of those ‘last man standing’ matches.
This match!!! Tommy’s cramping badly and Andy looks like he’s going to fall over.
Muzza wins and Tommy gives Muzza the finger! What a match! My concern though is what all this exertion is doing for Muzza’s chances at the WTF and more importantly, for the start of the 2015 season preparations.
What a match! What a 3rd set tiebreak! LOL at Tommy and Andy with each other at the net when it was over. Congrats to Andy, sorry for Tommy.
jpacnw,
I wish that I could see the tennis. I moved and do not have cable yet. I have been reading here to keep up with what is going on.
Thank goodness for iphones!
Toward the end of the match, Koenig said that it was the longest ATP 3 setter of the year. It was very entertaining. The defensive skills of both players are amazing, but there was a lot of good offense, too. The crowd certainly got their money’s worth.
RT @juan_jo_sports: “It’s really depressing to think that the Valencia 500 is in danger of going away. It has one of the most stunning venues in all of tennis.”
Going away? Where to? Why?
Andy and Tommy at the net, just after Tommy gave Andy the double finger in jest (although for a split second he might have meant it, given what they both went through).
https://twitter.com/genny_ss/status/526456003014176768
Here’s the full net greeting. LOL.
https://twitter.com/tjc05/status/526441735241883648
That has to be the exchange at the net to end all exchanges. An absolute classic 🙂
Thanks for posting that, so funny 🙂
Jpacnw,
That is great to see! I missed one heck of a battle.
Love it!
Thanks!
phenomenal stuff
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RT @juan_jo_sports: “BOOOOOOO to @TennisChannel for cutting off Robredo double-flipping the Muzzard at the net. Super endearing moment between two competitors.”
Really wonder how people with no sense of humour entertain themselves………….
“obscene gesture”
rafaisthebest (at 3:17 pm)
—TennisChannel for cutting off…—
It’s available on Tennis.TV.com
http://www.tennistv.com/video/videoId/1cp2wzg6f55tj1925habn30h0m
Tommy Haas also liked the match.
https://twitter.com/TommyHaas13/status/526441832356777985
Wow. Wow. Wow.
Poor tommy, but muzz’s sheer doggedness won out.
No one would forgive muzz if he pulled out of paris with exhaustion, although it wouldn’t surprise me if he plays until it’s mathematically impossible not to qualify and then loses or withdraws.
What a champ, looking good for 2015. Would be so good if muzz was back in top 4 for oz, thus avoiding the likes of QF contests with nole.
‘No one’ should read ‘Anyone’
epic scenes
^^^^That was one of the most brutal matches I’ve seen in a long time. Dont know about ‘dogged’ I think it was Andy’s sheer bloody-mindness that carried him through. How he maintained the pressure on Tommy over three hours is a mystery Dread to think what kind of shape he’ll be in when he gets to Paris.
I think you must read my mind, ed – I changed ‘stubbornness’ to ‘doggedness’ to be more polite 😉
Next week is going to be akin to the Nouvelle Beaujolais race to London
Edit of the above:
Should read: Next week is going to be akin to the Beaujolais Nouveau marathon as players beat a hasty retreat from Paris in order to be the first to arrive London…………
Thought you meant they’d be all punch drunk!