• Shanghai Masters

Classy Murray crushes Nishikori

Andy Murray was too classy for Kei Nishikori © Getty Images

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Andy Murray brought an end to the fine run of Japanese sensation Kei Nishikori at the Shanghai Masters, with the British No. 1 producing a polished display to progress to the final.

Nishikori will become the highest ranked Japanese male in the Open era when the rankings are updated on Monday, having beaten the likes of Robin Haase, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Santiago Giraldo and Alexandr Dolgopolov on his way to the semi-finals.

But an in-form Murray proved a bridge too far, as the Japanese was broken early and never made any headway on his opponent's serve as Murray claimed a 6-3 6-0 win.

Nishikori has some weapons and showed his quality early on, firing a couple of booming forehands to hold with aplomb in the opening game of the match.

Murray, who is on a high after wins in Thailand and Japan in the past fortnight, held his opening service game and then worked the opening on the Nishikori serve. A superb whipped forehand earned the break point and he converted when his opponent, striving to fend off the threat, threw a forehand wide of target.

A superb love service hold backed up the break and the Scot was flawless through the remainder of the set, as five aces and a first serve percentage of 82% squeezed the life out of his opponent.

Murray powered out of the blocks in the second set and worked break points. Nishikori saved a break point with a cute drop shot, but Murray broke through when turning defence into attack in brilliant fashion. He threw up a defensive lob, retrieved a smash into the midriff of Nishikori and passed him with a blistering forehand.

With his opponent struggling under the intense pressure, Murray kept up the momentum and work a double break, having had a brief altercation with the umpire over a disputed call. The upset did not knock Murray off his stride as he wrapped up victory 56 minutes.

In the other semi-final, David Ferrer regrouped after losing a first set tiebreak to see off fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in three sets, 6-7(5) 6-3 6-3.

Lopez came into the contest having won six of the previous nine meetings between the two men, and looked to be on course to add to that record after he edged the opening set in a breaker. But third seeded Ferrer upped his game to restore parity - clinching the second set after contributing just six unforced errors in the stanza.

The third set was a close-fought affair, with Ferrer needing to save a break point before getting the all-important break he needed in the eighth game. From there he was able to serve out the match, booking his place in the final as he pursues his first Masters title.

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