Both a title and World Tour Finals positioning will be on the line when David Ferrer and Andy Murray do battle in a blockbuster Vienna final on Sunday. The Grandstand’s Ricky Dimon and Steen Kirby of Tennis East Coast preview and pick the match.
Head-to-head: Murray 7-6
Hard courts: Murray 6-2
Indoors: 1-1
2014: Ferrer 1-0 (2-6, 6-1, 6-2 in Shanghai)
Path to final
Murray: d. Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 6-4
d. Jan-Lennard Struff 6-2, 7-5
d. Viktor Troicki 6-4, 6-3
Ferrer: d. Tobias Kamke 7-5, 6-1
d. Ivo Karlovic 7-6(5), 6-4
d. Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(3)
Ricky: Ferrer completely dominated the last two sets against Murray in Shanghai, but Murray has still won six of their eight previous hard-court meetings. The bottom line is that these conditions favor the two-time Grand Slam champion, whose firepower can inflict more damage on Ferrer here than, say, on a clay court. Murray has simply been the player this week, too, having not even been pushed to a tiebreaker. Ferrer, on the other hand, needed a third-set ‘breaker to beat Kohlschreiber. Murray 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
Steen: Murray and Ferrer were the strongest players in Vienna all week and they are worthy of meeting in the final. Both are looking to make the World Tour Finals. I give the edge to Murray because he has been on quite a tear since the U.S. Open concluded. He has looked comfortable all week. Look for the Scot to outwork Ferrer with skilled shot-making and win his second title of the year. Murray 6-4, 6-4.
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