Kei Nishikori and Andy Murray will kick off the proceedings in London as Group B round-robin action gets underway on Sunday. This is Nishikori’s first appearance in the year-end championship.
Kei Nishikori and Andy Murray will be going head-to-head for the fourth time in their careers when they contest the first singles match of the 2014 World Tour Finals on Sunday afternoon. Murray has dominated all three of their previous encounters and all three have taken place on hard courts. The Scot prevailed 6-3, 6-0 in the 2011 Shanghai semifinals, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 at the 2012 Australian Open, and via retirement at last year’s Brisbane International while leading 6-4, 2-0.
Murray is no stranger to indoor hard-court success in the fall and his latest surge is the reason why he wrapped up a spot in London for the fifth time (not counting one appearance in Shanghai). The 2014 campaign started slow as a result of recovering from back surgery and the world No. 6 and went without a slam title or even a slam final, but he has been on fire since the U.S. Open. Murray has won 20 of his last 23 matches with titles in Shenzhen, Vienna, and Valencia.
Nishikori all but guaranteed himself a first-ever ticket to the year-end championship by finishing runner-up at Flushing Meadows, although it was not a mathematical certainty until midway through the Paris Masters. Of course, Nishikori’s season has been absolutely outstanding beyond just the bright lights of New York. The Japanese star is 52-12 overall with four titles, including two this fall in Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo.
With both men in fine form, experience could be a significant factor in this one. Whereas Nishikori has never played a match inside the O2 Arena, Murray is 9-7 lifetime at this elite eight-man event with three semifinal berths (one in Shanghai, two in London). Nishikori owns the higher ranking and better seed but will undoubtedly be dealing with more nerves–by his own admission–than his opponent. Past history against each other obviously favors Murray, as well.
Pick: Murray in 3
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