Injury-stricken Andy Murray finishes the season at number four – Tennis News
British number one, Andy Murray, had an undesired ending to this year’s ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) season, as he slipped one place down to finish as the world number four. Former world number one, Roger Federer of
Switzerland, reclaimed his third spot from Murray in the latest edition of the South African Airways 2011 ATP World Rankings on Monday.
The 24-year-old had a remarkable 2011 ATP season, with 56-13 winning record and five championship titles to his name. Murray is yet to bag his first Grand Slam title and he frittered away a golden opportunity this year, when he
lost to Novak Djokovic in the final of the Australian Open in January.
Murray made it to the season ending grand finale, the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, in London, this year as the third seed and home favourite for winning the prestigious title at the O2 Arena. The Scott dropped his opening match
to the world number five, David Ferrer of Spain, followed by an agonising groin injury, forcing him to pull out of the mega event.
Murray’s withdrawal opened up gates for the fourth seed Federer to climb up the rankings. All the Swiss needed was to qualify for the final of the tournament to topple Murray from the third spot but he went on all the way to bag
the season ending championship title for a record six time. Federer earned 1500 ranking points to take the number three spot at the circuit end, pushing down Murray to the fourth spot in the ATP rankings.
The Briton had a brilliant start to the current ATP season as the world number four but Sweden’s Robin Soderling clinched a couple of ATP titles to push him down to the fifth spot. Murray made it to the semi-finals or better in
a number of events every time he was outplayed by the top ranked Rafael Nadal or Djokovic in the big matches.
The 24-year-old finally started to get into his winning groove in the second quarter of the season, winning titles at the Queen’s Club London and then finally defeating Djokovic in the final at the Cincinnati Masters. Murray clinched
successive championship in Bangkok, Tokyo and Shanghai to take the world number three spot from Federer but his quarter-final loss to Tomas Berdych at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris didn’t allow the Briton to strengthen his position in the Top-3.
Federer’s hat-trick of titles (at Swiss Indoors Basel, BNP Paribas Masters and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals) took him 710 ranking points ahead of Murray to finish the latter's season as the world number four.
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