Andy Murray pulls out, Janko Tipsarevic gets alternate berth – Barclays ATP World Tour Finals 2011
Sheer dismay for the tennis fans all over world, as the world number three, Andy Murray of the Great Britain, withdrew from the season ending grand finale, the Barclays ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour Finals, due to injury.
An agonising groin injury sidelined the third seed Briton from the mega event and he will be replaced by Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia. Murray strained his groin during a practice session on Monday, followed by a straight sets defeat at the hands of the fifth seed David Ferrer in the evening. He finally announced his withdrawal from the circuit finale on Tuesday, apologizing to his home crowd for not living up to their expectations.
“It's just a really difficult decision to make because it's one of the best tournaments in the year to play and it's something that you also work all year to play here, as well,” lamented Murray. “ Yesterday I was really unhappy on the court. This is one of the best tournaments in the year, one that I think me and all of the players look forward to playing. I couldn't give anywhere near my best, so that's what was disappointing. It would probably do myself more damage by playing than not.”
Murray has been in his prime form throughout the current ATP season and came to London as one of the hot favourites for winning the title. The Briton bagged three consecutive championship titles this autumn to replace the Swiss maestro, Roger Federer, for the world number three spot. With Murray pulling out of the mega event, Federer has an excellent opportunity to recapture the world number three spot by making it to eh final of the ATP World Tour Finals in London.
Murray’s debilitating physical conditions were hinted in his opening Round Robin matchup against the fifth seed Ferrer. He was completely outclassed by the fifth seed Spaniard in straight sets 4-6, 5-7, to fall 0-1 in the race to the final four. Murray will be replaced by the world number nine, Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia, in the Group A.
Tipsarevic is 53-25 in the current year, with two championship titles to his name. The Serb will play his opening match in the Round Robin against the seventh seed Czech competitor, Tomas Berdych, on Wednesday night. Berdych suffered a close defeat at the hands of the top seed, Novak Djokovic, in the first Group A matchup of the Round Robin and desperately needs a victory to remain alive in the race to the final four.
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