If Djokovic overcomes the disturbing ennui that enveloped him when he fell in the quarter-finals at Bercy on Friday, and recovers from a lingering injury to his right arm to win every match and hold his title at the ATP World Tour Finals in London, starting next Monday, he will resume a reign that had stretched to 122 weeks. It is Murray’s fresh challenge, after beating Isner 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4 in the final, to ensure that does not happen.
The new world No1 won his eighth title of the year after defeating John Isner 6-3, 6-7, 6-4 in Paris
“I want to keep going,” Murray said courtside. “It’s been a great year, and I want to finish as well as I can. I’m not so much thinking about finishing as the world No1. I just want to play well at the O2. I’ve not always played well there, and I want to do myself justice. I’ll get a few days’ rest now.”
Complicating the equation, however, Murray will lose 275 points after the Finals, because Great Britain failed to retain the Davis Cup they won last November. One way he can hold Djokovic at bay is to beat him in the O2 final; it would be the perfect finish to what has been the best season of his career.