Abu Dhabi: Andy Murray was declared the winner of the seventh Mubadala World Tennis Championship on Saturday after the shock withdrawal of his final opponent and defending champion, Novak Djokovic, due to fever.
Organisers made the disappointing announcement 15 minutes before the start of the third fourth-place playoff between Rafael Nadal and Stanislas Wawrinka at 5pm.
Murray, who was due to take on the world number one at 7pm, received the winner’s trophy after Nadal and Wawrinka’s encounter at Zayed Sports City Tennis Stadium.
In a statement, Djokovic said: “Unfortunately I am not to be able to play in the final in Abu Dhabi tonight. I’ve been sick today with a fever and I’m not fit to play.
“I said after my match last night [against Wawrinka] that the crowds here have shown their love of tennis again this year and always inspire me to play my best, so I am hugely disappointed not to be able to play for them tonight.”
Djokovic, who had looked typically imperious in thrashing Wawrinka 6-1, 6-2 in just under an hour in Friday’s second semi-final and later told media that he felt he was ‘at the peak of my abilities’, added: “I’ve had another great weekend in Abu Dhabi, meeting fans and coaching young players, and played some great tennis against the best players in the world. I love being a part of this tournament and I’m really disappointed not be able to take my chance of winning the trophy here again.
“Congratulations to Andy, it’s a shame I couldn’t play him today but I’m sure we will meet again soon. Thank you to everyone for all of your support over the last few days, I’ll see you soon.”
Djokovic’s illness follows a shoulder injury sustained by Murray in his 6-2, 6-0 rout of Rafael Nadal in the first semi-final on Friday, which could have jeopardised his appearance in the final.
“I don’t know exactly what happened,” Murray told media afterwards. “I’ve never had anything happen to my left shoulder before. I felt it when I was signing balls afterwards and picking up bottles. Could I miss the final? I will see how I feel when I wake up tomorrow. I will have a scan at midday and see what happens after that.”
Otherwise, Murray feels in prime shape for the 2015 season after subjecting himself to a gruelling preseason fitness camp in Miami. “I worked a lot physically, especially on my speed around the court, which is something I hadn’t done for a long time,” the two-time grand slam champion said. “I feel good. I had the right amount of rest and training in the off-season, so I feel match fit.”
