Rafael Nadal has beaten Andy Murray 6-4 6-1 in his second match at the ATP World Tour Finals in London.
Nadal turned back the clock with an excellent performance against Murray, with the Spaniard showing signs that he could be returning to his best form.
The result has seen the Spaniard move to the top of the group after two matches, while Murray sits second and still has a strong chance of making the semi-finals despite the defeat.
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A fast-paced opening saw both players lose their opening service games, but the first set was back on track until the latter stages, with Murray trailing 4-5 on serve. Nadal's second break of the match allowed him to take the first set 6-4, however, with Murray struggling to engage his backhand.
Nadal continued to dominate in the second and what proved to be final set, with a break between two holds allowing him to move 3-0 ahead.
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Murray did manage to hold at the second time of asking, but it was only delaying the inevitable as the former world number one out-fought his opponent over the court. Another break at 1-4 allowed Nadal to move 5-1 ahead, before the 29-year-old served it out to take the second set in just 34 minutes.
Next up for Nadal, who has beaten one of the so-called 'big four' for the first time this year, is a clash with David Ferrer, while Murray will face Stanislas Wawrinka next time out.
Matt Law
