ATP Japan Open: Andy Murray vs. David Nalbandian

Second-seeded Andy Murray of Great Britain will take on veteran Argentine David Nalbandian in a quarter-final duel of 2011 Japan Open Tennis Championships. Brace yourself for a thrilling encounter.

World No. 4 Andy Murray of Great Britain will lock horns with World No. 64 David Nalbandian of Argentina in a quarter-final match of the 2011 Japan Open Tennis Championships, an ATP World Tour 500 Event, being played here at the Tokyo, Japan.

Besides chasing his fourth ATP title of the season, Andy Murray is also getting closer to knock out Roger Federer from the No. 3 spot in ATP rankings. Hence, each win is important for the Super-Scot, who eased past Alex Bogomolov Jr.6-1, 6-2 in the pre-quarterfinal clash to come this far in the tournament. On the other hand, experienced contender David Nalbandian beat Ivan Dodig 7-6(2), 6-2 to set up this clash with Murray.

Andy Murray has won three ATP title this year so far and he has a stellar 46-11 win-loss record for the season. Murray saw a consistent slump in form after his heartbreaking loss to Novak Djokovic in the final of the Aussie Open earlier this year, but the Scot rebounded nicely afterwards and produced some consistent results in the European clay-court swing. Murray also reached the semis at Wimbledon and claimed Cincinnati Masters title in August. Once again Murray was stopped in the semi-final of the US Open by Rafael Nadal.

Murray’s opponent, Nalbandian has had his share of injuries in a last couple of years. The Argentine had to miss-out the greater part of the last season due to recurring injuries. Nalbandian enjoyed a best run in 2007, when he claimed ATP Masters title in Paris and Madrid, but could not continue in the same manner. The Argentine has a good 19-10 win-loss record this year.

In head-to-head, Murray marginally leads with a 3-2 against Nalbandian. Last time they met earlier this year in Cincinnati Masters, where Murray topped the Argentine in straight sets. Nalbandian has the potential to cause an upset here – provided he will keep a check on unforced errors.