• ATP World Tour Finals

Federer fills the void left by Murray's exit

Roger Federer won the 26th clash against Rafael Nadal © PA Photos

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Andy Murray has spent his entire career in the shadow of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, but on Tuesday, the British No. 1 briefly threatened to steal the limelight.

As fans at the O2 Arena eagerly awaited the mouthwatering showdown between Federer and Nadal, the news came that Murray had been forced to pull out of the ATP World Tour Finals with a groin injury.

The Scot was scheduled to practise on the warm-up courts at 1pm, but when he failed to turn up, fears over his future in the competition escalated. When it was announced that the Scot had called a press conference shortly after Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's win over Mardy Fish, there was mad rush as photographers, journalists and presenters scrambled into the interview room.

A sombre Murray confirmed that he would play no further part in the event, revealing it was the first time in his career that he had suffered a muscular injury (previous injuries have been joints - hips, knees, ankles). His disappointment was clear to see - and was obvious why.

To pull out of any major event - this being the biggest event of the year behind the four slams - is a huge disappointment, and to bow out for the season in such a manner is an even bigger blow. Factor in that Murray had been in some of the best form of his life, plus the small matter of playing in front of a home crowd, and you start to realise quite how gutted he must have been.

No disrespect to Janko Tipsarevic, who steps in to replace the Scot, but Murray's exit leaves a big hole in the competition. But if any player was capable of transforming the mood at the O2 Arena, it was probably Federer.

While it was Nadal's ongoing battles with Djokovic that captured the attentions this year, there is something unique about the Roger-Rafa rivalry. When the draw was made last week, the stand-out fixture of the round-robin stages was immediately obvious. Not only was the 26th career meeting (not including countless exhibitions) between the pair the first in a round-robin format, it was the first meeting not in a semi-final or final since their first clash back in 2004.

Andy Murray's exit leaves a big hole in the competition © Getty Images

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It was also the first in which neither player was the No. 1 ranked player in the world, but that took nothing away from the atmosphere in the O2 Arena, nor the intensity of the match as Federer claimed a memorable victory over his fierce rival.

Federer's performance against Nadal was scintillating. The forehand took on a life of its own as he racked up 15 winners - Nadal managed just four all match. The fact that the Spaniard made just seven unforced errors in such a convincing defeat speaks volumes - he did not play badly, but he was hounded into making mistakes by a rampant Federer, who expressed his surprise at the nature of the result and his sympathy to his beaten opponent.

"I also felt the power of Rafa in the past," Federer said. "We've played so many times, sometimes it just derails for you, like it derailed for Rafa today and it did for me at the [2008] French Open.

"Once you start rolling, it's hard to stop the player. So for him it was hard today. And then everything you try doesn't work for the guy who is down; for the one who is up, he's taking more and more chances, all of that is working. Next thing you know, you're facing a debacle."

Perhaps what makes the rivalry between the pair so enduring is the deep-rooted respect they have for one another, which shines through, even when they are going hell for leather on a tennis court. And as much as Federer was gracious in victory, Nadal accepted his defeat with utter humility.

"The score is true. And today he played too good for me, and that's what happened," he said. "Just accept that. When he plays like this, he is better than me."

When sports stars all too often make the backpages for all the wrong reasons, it is humbling to be in the presence of two truly great role models.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.