ATP World Tour Finals 2015: Andy Murray pledges to do his best on mission ‘impossible’

British No 1 prepares for two surfaces while brother makes winning O2 start

(Getty Images)

With major ranking points and prize money on offer this week, the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals rank beneath only the four Grand Slam tournaments in terms of importance. For Andy and Jamie Murray, however, greater glory will be at stake in 11 days’ time, when the brothers spearhead Britain’s quest for a first triumph in the Davis Cup for 79 years.

While both men insist that they are currently focused on the end-of-season showpiece here in London, Andy Murray’s preparations were compromised last week when he spent four days practising on clay to improve his chances on the surface that Belgium have chosen for next week’s Davis Cup final in Ghent. The world No 2 plays his opening round-robin match here against David Ferrer this afternoon.

Murray insisted that his goal this week was to win the title, but was realistic about how well he might start the event. “It’s impossible to prepare for both [the Davis Cup and the World Tour Finals], or it is for me anyway,” he said. “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.”

The Scot has won six of his last seven matches against Ferrer, but the 33-year-old Spaniard is one of the sport’s most dogged competitors. Earlier this year he appeared in danger of not playing here for the first time since 2009, but secured his place by winning titles in Kuala Lumpur and Vienna.

Jamie Murray, Andy’s brother, showed his determination to seize his chance this week by making a winning start in the opening match yesterday. Murray and his Australian partner, John Peers, crowned their debut in the event with a 7-6, 3-6, 11-9 victory over Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini in a highly entertaining match.

Bolelli’s double fault at 5-5 proved decisive in the first set tie-break, while a bad miss by Murray cost the Scot his serve in the penultimate game of the second set. There was never more than a one-point difference in the final tie-break until Peers hit the winning smash.

Murray and Peers are ending their three-year partnership after this tournament – they will play next year with Bruno Soares and Henri Kontinen respectively – despite the fact that they could end 2015 as the world’s No 1 pair. “We want to make the most of our time here,” Murray said afterwards. “When that’s done, then I’ll think about the Davis Cup.”

The Murrays were not the only British Davis Cup hopefuls in action. Two of the three – or possibly four – contenders for the second singles spot in Leon Smith’s team were playing in finals of Challenger tournaments.

Dan Evans, who is probably the outsider of the group given the playing surface, was meeting Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, in a hard-court tournament in Knoxville, Tennessee, while Kyle Edmund faced Carlos Berlocq on clay in Buenos Aires. Edmund had been joined in South America by James Ward, another of the Davis Cup wannabes. Smith has been accompanying the two men, who have been getting more experience on clay in the hope of reinforcing their claims for selection.

Edmund did his own chances a power of good by beating Berlocq 6-0, 6-4 to claim his third Challenger title of the year and his first on clay. The 20-year-old Briton dropped only one set all week and in his last two matches beat highly-experienced clay-court campaigners in Horacio Zeballos and Berlocq.

Ward had a poor second half of the summer, suffering 11 successive defeats before rebuilding his confidence by winning a Challenger tournament in India. However, he has had less success in South America, having lost first time out in Guayaquil and won only one match in Buenos Aires.

The one other possible contender for a singles slot in Smith’s team is Slovenian-born Aljaz Bedene, whose appeal against an International Tennis Federation decision to declare him ineligible to represent Britain will be heard in Prague tomorrow. Britain have to name their four-man team for the final on the same day, though they can make up to two changes before the final.

Jamie Murray and John Peers celebrate their win (Getty Images)

Bedene, who has lived in Britain since 2008 and was granted a British passport earlier this year, has fallen foul of a change in ITF rules under which players are not allowed to play for two countries. Bedene played in three “dead” Davis Cup rubbers for Slovenia earlier in his career but argues that he had submitted all the paperwork for his change of nationality before the new rule was introduced.

As world No 46 Bedene is Britain’s second highest-ranked singles player ahead of Edmund (No 110) and Ward (No 160). Jamie Murray said: “If he gets the green light, for me, if he does get selected, [I would] welcome him with open arms. He’s British, he’s done what he needs to do. I’m sure he’ll be a valued member of the team.”

Andy Murray practised with Bedene on clay at Queen’s Club last week and was impressed. “He is very quiet, a hard worker, he just gets on with it,” the world No 2 said. “He has a really good attitude. He is also a fantastic player and will probably continue to improve as well. I don’t think he is at his potential, his limit just now. I think he can get better for sure. I hope he can kick on next year.”