Anyone for tennis? Good, because this is a bit special.
Over in Beijing, Andy Murray won his fifth title of the year, beating Grigor Dimitrov in the final of the China Open. The world number two eventually took the match in two sets (6-4 7-6), winning the second set 7-2 on a tie break.
Earlier in what proved to be the final set Murray had led 5-4 and was serving for the championship, only for his Bulgarian opponent to dig in and break the Wimbledon and Olympic champion back.
The tone for the game was set by the first point, which saw Dimitrov get the better of Murray in an incredible 43-stroke rally.
CRAZY TENNIS! Check out this 43-shot rally between @andy_murray and @GrigorDimitrov! https://t.co/BmumqVcmrF #ATP pic.twitter.com/t2ZkCH4xkb
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 9, 2016
It might have lacked the drama of *that* Rafa Nadal point against Andrey Kuznetsov at the US Open last month, but the level of concentration of both players here has to be saluted.
Sadly, the rally wasn’t ended by a winner, with a Murray backhand drifting just long of the Dimitrov baseline.
Murray’s victory will help the Scot close on the world number one spot, as Novak Djokovic, who missed the China Open due to injury. The Serbian’s form has dipped in recent months, crashing out of the early rounds at Wimbledon and the Olympics and, despite reaching the final of the US Open last month, lost to Stan Wawrinka.
