Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer eased past their respective opponents on the opening day of the ATP World Tour Finals, and now it is the turn of Andy Murray to do the same when he plays David Ferrer at the O2 Arena on Monday.
Murray was in a bit of a conundrum in terms of his participation in this season-ending ATP tournament, considering just a few days after the World Tour Finals he will be leading Great Britain in the Davis Cup final against Belgium.
However, the former Wimbledon and US Open champion needs to put those Davis Cup thoughts away for now, as he begins his quest for an ATP World Tour Finals title, starting with the match against David Ferrer in the Ilie Nastasie Group.
"My ambition is to win the tournament but I have to be realistic about how well I will start the event," Murray was quoted as saying by The Guardian. "It's impossible to prepare for both events – or for me anyway.
"For some guys, they can rock up on a clay court and immediately feel great. I will go out there and give it my best in all of the matches. That's all anyone can ask for. You can't always play your best but I will definitely give my best effort in all of the matches."
Murray beat Ferrer in the Paris Masters last week, and the Brit is also determined to turn his fortunes around in the ATP World Tour Finals, after a woeful performance last year.
"I hope it's not a surprise if I win the tournament," Murray added. "Last year was a terrible way for me to finish and I don't want that to be the case again.
"Also, if I was thinking ahead about the Davis Cup, to show up and then get pumped three times while getting ready for Ghent [the venue of the Davis Cup final]? That is terrible preparation. So I want to perform well and win some big matches against the best players in the world; that will give me confidence for the Davis Cup."
Where to Watch Live
Andy Murray vs David Ferrer is scheduled for a not before 2 pm local time (7.30 pm IST, 9 am ET) start. Live coverage of the ATP World Tour Finals match in India is on Star Sports 4, Ten Sports and Ten HD, while all the action can also be watched via live streaming online by viewers in India on Starsports.com, Hotstar and Ten Sports Live.
Viewers in the UK can watch their favourite player live on Sky Sports, with the live stream option on Sky Go. Audience in the US can flip their remotes to ESPN 3, while all the action can also be live streamed on Watch ESPN.
Audience from around the world can watch the Murray vs Ferrer live on ATP's official website.
