Shanghai Rolex Masters 2016 Final: Murray vs. Bautista Agut Score, Reaction
Andy Murray added the 2016 Shanghai Rolex Masters title to his impressive season tally on Sunday, beating Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6 (1), 6-1 in the final.
Bautista Agut gave the World No. 2 all he could handle in the first set, but Murray dominated in a tiebreak, taking the lead. A quick break in the second set followed, and while it wasn't all smooth sailing, Murray's eventual win never seemed in doubt.
As shared by MailOnline's Stuart Fraser, Novak Djokovic's shock loss against Bautista Agut in the semi-final meant Murray was suddenly in position to claim the top spot in the world rankings by the end of the year:
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For that, he had to win the Rolex Masters, however, and his opponent made it clear early he wasn't just going to roll over. Bautista Agut double-faulted in the opening game but otherwise played almost flawlessly, showing his ability from the baseline and on the defensive end.
Murray dominated with his serve, but he seemed to be a touch off the pace in the rallies, which happened to be Bautista Agut's strong suit. On the longer points, the Spaniard grabbed most of his winners, keeping pace with his Scottish opponent in the early parts of the first set.
As shared by TennisTV, Bautista Agut produced some stunning shots, including this volley:
He even put real pressure on Murray in the sixth game, backing him up until an unforced error gave life back to the World No. 2.
Murray broke serve for the first time in the next game, however, taking the advantage with some powerful forehands from the baseline. Bautista Agut managed to take the next game to deuce but was once again overpowered by Murray's serve.
He extended the set in the ninth game and shocked everyone by tying things up in the 10th, as Murray lost his composure after going up 40-15.
Per TennisTV, he continued his fine run:
The set went to a tiebreak, in which Murray quickly grabbed a 4-1 lead thanks to his raw power. Bautista Agut had no answers, and for all of his hard work turning around the deficit before the tie break, he still dropped the first set.
Unsurprisingly, the Spaniard lost all of his momentum early in the second set as a result. Murray easily held serve to start and immediately broke as well, in part thanks to a poor volley miss with the court begging for Bautista Agut.
Actress and comedian Miranda Hart was pulling for the British star:
But just as Murray seemed primed to cruise to an easy win, his temperament got the better of him. He engaged the umpire in a short discussion after he failed to reach a ball and promptly gave up his serve with a dreadful passing shot.
Another poor miss saw him lose the first point of the following game, but he finally recovered and took four on the bounce, earning himself another break. Bautista Agut's resilience finally broke, allowing his opponent to close out the match without dropping another game.
Speaking to Sky Sports (h/t BBC Sport), Murray talked about the changes to his game and his chances of passing Djokovic in the world standings before the end of the year or early in 2017:
"In the last few months, I have won a lot of matches and made improvements. I have been moving forward better and changed the direction of the ball better. I have also come up with some bigger serves when I have needed them.
My goal wasn't to finish number one at the end of this year but in the early parts of next year there is an opportunity - 900 points doesn't seem like loads.
But Novak will win matches. He is the best player in the world. I don't think he has lost an indoor game in a long time.
"
Murray's next outing will be in Vienna, where Djokovic won't be competing, and another title would set the Scot up for a run at the top position in the standings heading into the Paris Masters.
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