By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, November 19, 2016
Andy Murray denied match point at 8-9 in the tie break edging Milos Raonic, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (9) in a three hour, 38-minute thriller to reach his first World Tour Finals final.
Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport
Grunts erupting from Andy Murray grew deeper with each advancing stride.
Staying in step with Milos Raonic throughout a gripping marathon made Murray emote with the energy of a man thrust into a steeplechase.
Watch: Top 5 ATP WTF Finals
A defiant Murray attacked net denying a match point in the decisive tie break then never dropped another point edging Raonic, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (9), in a titanic thriller at the O2 Arena.
Continuing his inspired run with a closing kick, Murray reached his fifth straight final and his 11th title match in his last 12 tournaments—while keeping his quest for year-end world No. 1 ranking alive.
The pulsating three hour, 38-minute duel was the longest three-set match in World Tour Finals history and the longest three-setter of the season.
This was a wild adventure of a match with Raonic, who built a set and a break lead, earning more break points (12 to 8) and Murray winning precisely two more points (138 to 136).
The top-seeded Scot scored his 23rd consecutive victory putting himself on the threshold of history.
For the first time in tournament history, the world's top two will square off in the final with the year-end top spot on the line.
If Murray defeats four-time defending champion Novak Djokovic in tomorrow's final, then Murray will become the 17th man in history to clinch the ATP's year-end No. 1 ranking.
The second-ranked Djokovic dominated Kei Nishikori, 6-1, 6-1 in the 66-minute second semifinal. Djokovic, who holds a 24-10 lead over Murray in their head-to-head series, is bidding to finish the season as year-end No. 1 for the third straight year and fifth time in the last six years.
The third London duel of the year between Murray and Raonic popped with jaw-dropping shotmaking, heart-pounding pressure and four consecutive service breaks to force the final tie break.
Twice Murray served for the final—at 5-4 and 6-5—and twice Raonic responded with service breaks. The Canadian, who hung right with the quicker Scot in baseline rallies, fought off match points at 5-6, 6-7 and 7-8. Then Murray erased a match at 8-9 to spur his charge to the finish.
This Wimbledon final rematch started with the server in command.
Dotting all areas of the box with his first serve, Murray won 10 consecutive points on serve until Raonic threatened in the fifth game.
Stepping in to greet a second serve, Raonic redirected an angled backhand return winner for break point. With a good look at a second serve, the Canadian framed a forehand return and Murray quieted the threat.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist imposed three love holds in his first four service games, holding for 4-3.
An ornery Murray battled a severe threat from Raonic and brief run-in with chair umpire umpire Damien Dumusois in the ninth game.
Upset after Dumusois hit him with a time violation warning, Murray saved three break points in the game. The first with his first net attack of the set, the second with a forehand pass down the line and the third on a Raonic backhand error.
When the turmoil settled, Murray grinded through a nine-minute game, denying three break points for a 5-4 advantage.
Increasingly hanging tougher in baseline points, Raonic bled the break from a jittery Murray in the 11th game. A pair of forehand errors followed Murray's second double fault of the day gifted the break and a 6-5 lead.
Serving for the set, the fourth seed jumped out to a 40-love lead. On his third set point, Raonic slid a serve winner down the middle, snatching a one-set lead after 58 minutes.
It was the first set Raonic took from Murray since the opening set of the Queen's Club final in June, which the Scot won 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3. While Raonic won 17 of 19 first-serve points, the key to the set was his return game: The Canadian earned break points in three of Murray's six service games in the set, while Murray did not manage a break point.
The tension of playing for No. 1 was evident in the tightness in Murray's right arm. On a second break point in the second game, Murray jerked a tight two-handed backhand into the middle of the net as Raonic held for 1-all.
Swinging freely, Raonic ripped a forehand return winner down the line for his sixth break point of the day. Murray pulled off a forehand dragging it into net as Raonic broke for 2-1.
Reading Raonic's serve, Murray answered with eight straight points backing up a love break with a shutout hold for 3-2.
The momentum and crowd was firmly in Murray's corner when Raonic pulled off the shot of the match, a dazzling spinning half-volley pick up, to deny a second break point holding in the sixth game.
At 4-all, 30-all Raonic was six points from his first career win over a world No. 1. Murray dug in and won a 10-shot rally working through a crucial hold.
The tiebreak turned up the tension and shotmaking stakes considerably. Murray took the mini break for 2-1 then showed impeccable finesse on the move. Turning his racquet as he charged, Murray scooped an eye-popping backhand half volley from the forehand side for 4-1.
Crushing a forehand winner, Raonic got the mini break back leaving Murray howling in anxiety.
The agility the 6'5" Canadian showed around net was startling at times. Raonic wristed a terrific backhand half-volley then went nose-to-nose with Murray at net knocking a point-blank forehand pass for 5-all.
Murray met the pressure moving forward. Attacking behind a forehand he skimmed the net with an angled forehand drop volley for set point. Murray, who won 11 of 15 trips to net in the set, bolted a serve winner down the middle ending a draining 80-minute second set.
The Wimbledon champion saved two break points in the second game of the final set. Murray scored his second love break of the match for a 5-4 lead only to play a pair of tight drop shots and see Raonic pound a smash to break right back.
A double fault off the tape followed by a netted forehand gave Murray a second straight break for 6-5. Decelerating on his forehand, a jittery Murray made three unforced errors giving back the break to send the marathon into sudden death.
An 18-shot rally concluded with Raonic netting a forehand as Murray earned his first match point after three hours, 30 minutes. In the energized point that ensued, Raonic took his rip at a forehand saving the match point for 6-all. Murray missed a backhand on his second match point and netted a forehand pass on match point number three.
Staring down match point at 8-9, Murray charged forward and blocked a backhand volley winner. A serve winner out wide gave him a fourth match point and when Raonic's final forehand expired in net, Murray looked both exhausted and exhilarated.
This week, Murray, who outlasted Nishikori in three hours, 20 minutes on Wednesday, has played two of the three longest three-setters of the season in the last four days and is still standing, still churning forward for the finish line.
How much will he have left for the final tomorrow? It will be fun to find out.