BIG in Japan

With the 2011 season nearing its end, Andy Murray seems to have caught fire. With title wins at Cincinnati and Bangkok and a semifinal showing at US Open, Andy is building up a great end to a rather disappointing year. Of course, the stakes are always high for the Brit, with his country's lone hope of Grand Slam glory pressing heavily on his shoulders.

Aiming for a top 3 season-ending ranking, Andy entered the Tokyo event trying to acquire some much needed points. The field, highlighted by defending champion Rafael Nadal, proved challenging for Murray, who had to dig deep from his inaugural round. Faced with a tricky opponent, he relied upon all his weapons to dispose of Cypriot Marcus Baghdatis, 7-6,2-6,6-4. Having breezed past American Alex Bogomolov Jr., Andy required again all his strengths in order to get past David Nalbandian 6-4,7-5 in the quarterfinals. Maintaining his immaculate record over David Ferrer on hardcourts, the Brit managed a two sets win which gave him another shot at revenge over his Grand Slam nemesis, Rafael Nadal.

The Spaniard easily beat Andy in their semifinal clashes at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and most recently, at Flushing Meadows, leaving him in a state of profound misery. Nevertheless, this time around Murray was ready for the big occasion. After a shaky start, he unleashed his entire armoury, leaving Nadal stunned by an amazing display. Recovering from the loss of the first set, 3-6, he went on to win 14 of the next 12 games, administering Nadal an embarrassing 3-6,6-2,6-0 defeat. Although it didn't come in a Slam, this win could provide a boost of confidence for the Brit, who proved once more that on a good day, he can beat the best players in the world.

Things could only get better for Andy, who took the court again a couple of hours later when he and his brother Jamie disputed the doubles final. The duo was in impetuous form, disposing of Frantisek Cermak and Filip Polasek in a rather straightforward encounter. Courtesy of the win, Murray became the only double winner on the ATP tour so far this year. 

As his next stop, i.e. the Masters 1000 in Shanghai, is lacking some of its big names, i.e. Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, Andy looks set to challenge Nadal once more and keep his winning streak going.

Andy Murray got his revenge over his Grand Slam nemesis, Rafael Nadal, administering the Spaniard an embarrassing 3-6,6-2,6-0 defeat to win the Tokyo crown.

Brotherly love: Andy Murray teamed up with brother Jamie to win the doubles title. The Scotsman completed a stunning double in Tokyo.

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