People had been wondering whether Murray was choking with an advantage.  In the last three matches, Murray held match points, but was unable to seal the deal.  In Tokyo, match points were held against Raonic.  In Shanghai, it was against Djokovic.  In Paris, against Janowicz.  Of course, when match points are lost, it’s often a pretty close match.  It’s not a 6-0, 5-1, 40-0 lead that turns into a big choke-fest.  Often, it’s a point in a tiebreak, and possibly a break point to take the match.

With the round robin format used in the ATP World Tour Final, it helps to win the first match.  If you’re in a 0-1 hole, you will typically need to win the other two matches, or get help.

Berdych started the match off strong with a 63 opening set.  However, Murray fought back with a break in the second and took it 63.  He had chances to break twice in the third set, but didn’t.  He held on to a 40-30 game when Berdych netted a shot.  The key for Murray was apparently second serve where he held a greater percentage.  He might have made it more lopsided had Berdych not saved so many break points (10 of 12).  This should still bode well for Murray as break point opportunities are still a huge factor in winning.

Up later, Novak Djokovic will take on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.