Breaking News, World News and Taiwan News.

Updated Tuesday, November 24, 2009 1:00 pm TWN, Reuters



	Roger Federer of Switzerland returns the ball to Fernando Verdasco of Spain during their ATP World Tour Finals first round match in London, Sunday, Nov. 22. (Reuters) Enlarge Photo

Sponsors
▪	Buy china wholesale products from reliable chinese wholesalers on DHgate.com!
▪	Save 75% for all hotels in Shanghai, Beijing and whole China. Lowest rates for Flights in China.
▪	Get the best deals for Guangzhou Hotels or choose from more than 10,000 hotels in 499 Chinese cities.
▪	Find great real time deals on China Flights. Book flights to China or China domestic flights 24/7.

Roger Federer, Andy Murray win Tour Finals openers

“He's got a big serve, long reach and goes for huge shots. You just have to try and get through it. Tactically I've always been fairly good so I found a way through today.”

London's O2 Arena, formerly known as the Millennium Dome, is more used to welcoming the world's greatest pop stars, and there was plenty of glitz as the $5 million event got under way with hardly an empty seat in sight.

Led Zeppelin blared out of the sound system and spotlights punctured the eerily-lit arena as Murray and Del Potro walked out to begin the sixth instalment of what many predict will become one of the fiercest rivalries in men's tennis.

'Big Nose'

Del Potro, a year younger than the 22-year-old Murray but already one-up on the Scot in the grand slam stakes after his stunning victory over Federer in the Flushing Meadows final in September, arrived at the venue by boat and looked all at sea in the first set in which he was troubled by a nose bleed.

“I have a big nose, that's the problem,” a glum Del Potro told reporters, although some of his play from 0-5 in the first set should give him confidence that he can still progress.

Things began to change as Del Potro found his timing to claw it back to 3-5 and, although Murray finally clinched the opener on his seventh set point, the tide had turned.

Del Potro broke serve twice in the second set and after softening up Murray with some punishing inside out forehands that Murray could merely slice back defensively he levelled the match with an unstoppable crosscourt effort. As quickly as it had sparked into life, however, Del Potro's challenge withered and world number four Murray won the third set surprisingly comfortably after breaking in the second game.

“I could win two matches and still not get to the semi-finals,” said Murray. “But winning the first one obviously helps a lot.”

Group B action opens on Monday when Rafael Nadal, who can still beat Federer to the year-end world number one ranking, faces Swede Robin Soderling and Novak Djokovic takes on Nikolay.

1|2