Best matches of 2011 ATP World Tour: Part two – Tennis Special
We continue reviewing some of the most enthralling contests of the 2011 ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) season, which provided sheer entertainment to the tennis fans. Large number of matches is played in every ATP season
but there are only few which are always remembered for the thrill and intensity they delivered to the crowd. Our focus is to revive the memories of the top ranked tennis superstars’ those encounters which gathered huge appreciation from all the circles and
can be regarded as the best tennis encounters of the entire season.
Novak Djokovic vs. Andy Murray – Rome semi-final
Sweeping the entire 2011 ATP season with his belligerent performances with the racquet, the reigning world number one, Novak Djokovic of Serbia, put up some amazing feats to be named the Player of the Year by ATP. The Serbian manhandled
every single opponent he faced this season, finishing the circuit with a career best of 70-6 winning record, which includes a record-leveling 42-match winning streak with the legendary John McEnroe.
Djokovic bagged a total of 10 ATP championship titles in the 2011, including three of the all-prestigious Grand Slam titles, the Australian open, Wimbledon and the US Open. The top ranked Serb lost merely six matches in the entire
season and was also named “Mr. Invincible” for his dominance over the game throughout the year.
On the contrary, British number one, Andy Murray, has been labouring extremely hard to climb up the South African Airways ATP World Rankings throughout the year. The Scott finished off the 2011 ATP circuit with a 56-13 winning
record, pocketing five championship titles to take the fourth spot by the year end. Murray toppled the Swiss maestro, Roger Federer, to claim the third spot in men’s rankings in October but his unfortunate withdrawal from the season ending grand finale, the
Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, pushed him back to the fourth spot in November.
Murray’s hunt for his maiden Grand Slam title remained fruitless this year as well. He had his shot at the coveted Australian Open title in January this year but was denied once again by the brilliance of none other than the mighty
Serb, Djokovic. Murray had some really close calls in his encounters against the top ranked contestants this season and came up to the expectations on a number of times as well.
Djokovic leads 6-4 over Murray in the head-to-head combats till date and their contrasting game play always make their encounters a treat to watch for the tennis fans. After suffering a heart-breaking straight sets loss in the
final of the Grand Slam Down Under, Murray took on Djokovic for the second time in the season in the semi-final of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome. It was payback time for the Briton on the clay courts of Rome and he gave some real tough time to Djokovic
before eventually falling.
The contest that followed was one of the most exhilarating one the two have had this year. Bob Bryan expressed on his twitter account about the contest by citing: “Just watched some of the greatest displays of shot-making & guts
I have ever seen. Thank u @andy_murray & @DjokerNole. You are both champs.”
Djokovic raced through the opening set to take it 6-1 but a valiant comeback from Murray closed out the second set at 6-3 to level the matchup at one-all. The final set also went to the wire, ending up in a tie-breaker round. Murray
finally crumbled in the intense pressure once again, letting Djokovic to the win at 7-6(2), but the made the Serbian sweat heavily before letting him taste victory.
Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in the article are the writer’s own personal views and have nothing to do with bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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