Andy Murray set his sights on overhauling Roger Federer in the world rankings after destroy Rafael Nadal in the deciding set to win in Tokyo. The world number four made it 12 consecutive victories by receiving better from plummeting the first set to blow the Spaniard away, claiming a 3-6 6-2 6-0 success to add the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championship title to the one he won in Thailand a week ago.
It was sweet revenge for the Scot over the world number two, who had beaten him five times in a row coming into the match, including in the semi-finals of Wimbledon and the US Open. And he completed a unforgettable weekend by then teaming up with Brother Jamie to take the doubles title with a 6-1 6-4 thrashing of Frantisek Cermak and Filip Polasek in the doubles final.
The triumph over Nadal also earned Murray his 20th career title and enhanced his probability of replacing Federer as world number three before the season is out.I need to keep up the wins and hopefully I'll get to the number three ranking,the 24-year-old said.
It's not the ultimate goal, but it's the target I set for the last few contest this year.And it looks a very achievable one given the way he tore apart 10-time major winner Nadal in the final set to clinch the title in style.I played some great tennis, especially in the third set,Murray added.
There was a lot of close games towards the end of the first set and beginning of the second and I managed to get the momentum and didn't give him many chances after that.For sure in the third set it was some of the best tennis I've played against him. I was very dependable, didn't make too many mistakes and kept a cool head in the important moments.
The way Murray is playing at the moment suggests he would have beaten Nadal in the semi-finals of the last two grand slam had he have showed such form back then, but normal service seemed to be the order of the day when Nadal broke Murray early in the first set.
Murray's serve was shaky throughout the set, although Nadal failed to cash in and took it with just the one break. Something occurs to Murray during the end-of-set break, though, and he left his chair for the second apparently a different player. After adjust some burly on his ankle he began to dominate Nadal from the baseline and move him around, contravention through in the fourth game of the set.