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 Home favorite Murray is one of several players scrambling to
accumulate enough ATP Race points to grab one of the three remaining
spots while already-qualified Nadal has been diagnosed with
appendicitis and question marks remain over his appearance.
Murray, an ever-present at the season-ender since it came to
London's cavernous O2 Arena alongside the River Thames in 2009,
apart from last year when he was recovering from back surgery,
guarantees a spike in ticket sales at the hugely popular event.
Likewise, 14-times grand slam champion Nadal boasts an army of fans
worldwide and should he succumb to ill health the event would be
down-valued, whatever the quality of the eight men who do line up
for the ATP's showpiece tournament.
A few weeks ago Murray looked in serious jeopardy of missing the cut
after a lean year but a late burst of form, with titles in Shenzhen
and Vienna, has moved him to eighth in the Race to London.
It is mighty close, however, with Spain's David Ferrer and Canada's
Milos Raonic within touching distance of the Scot ahead of the final
regular events of the year in Basel, Valencia and the Paris Masters,
the latter with 1,000 points on the line.
Murray has not always enjoyed overwhelming support from British
fans, a legacy of the surly demeanor of his early days and his
fierce streak of Scottish patriotism that has occasionally attracted
criticism.
His 2012 Olympic gold medal in London and last year's Wimbledon
triumph won many of the skeptics over, however, and he would be the
fans' first choice to win the Tour Finals title.
While Murray is clearly keen to qualify for London, evidenced by his
decision to take a wildcard for Vienna, he is more concerned with
returning to the kind of form that has earned him two grand slam
titles to date.
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"I said when I arrived in China that I wanted to try and get to
the latter stages of the events I was playing between now and the
end of the year and play against the top players to get into the
routine and rhythm again," Murray said.
"Obviously, London would be very nice if I can get there but it's
also important for seedings at the Australian Open. To be seeded in
the top eight there can make a big difference to the draw and
hopefully I will be able to do that."
Murray plays in Valencia this week while Nadal is in Basel, having
admitted that he is struggling.
"It's going to be one of the most dangerous first rounds in a 500
tournament that I've played in a long time," the 28-year-old
Mallorcan, who faces Italy's Simone Bolelli, said.
"I am not 100 per cent sure what is going to happen tomorrow. I
haven't practiced well enough or enough times. My body feels more
tired than usual when I'm playing."
Apart from Nadal, the other players already qualified for the ATP
World Tour Finals are Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Marin Cilic and
Stanislas Wawrinka.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
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