LEAD: Murray faces injury struggle after opening London loss

Nov 21, 2011, 16:58 GMT

London - Home favourite Andy Murray will have to concentrate on fitness as well as form after losing 6-4, 7-5 in his opening match on Monday at the ATP World Tour Finals to Spain's David Ferrer and suffering an injury in the process.

Murray, third in the world and the player to beat last month when he won three titles in three weeks in Asia, lost for the first time to the 29-year-old Ferrer on a surface other than the Spaniard's comfort zone - clay.

The Scot never looked like he was moving well from the start in a match with some empty seats in view at the 17,000-capacity arena,

After dropping the first set in an hour, Murray took treatment on what was reported as a left groin problem.

While he did manage to break the scrambling Ferrer early in both sets, the Spaniard who played the 2007 year-end final in Shanghai against Roger Federer was able to get them back and broke Murray to end each of the sets in the two-hour battle.

'I'm sorry for the people, since Andy is also a good friend,' said Ferrer. 'But I've won the first match and I'm happy for that.

'It feels really good. I played consistently throughout and served well in the important moments. Maybe I was also a bit lucky since Andy had some problems, but I played my game and nothing else.

'This is only the first match, now I'll concentrate on the second,' he said of the round-robin event which ends the ATP season after 11 months.

Ferrer profited as Murray committed 44 unforced errors - 24 in the opening set - and lost his serve five times. The Scot managed only 12 winners in his disappointing effort.

Murray's loss was only his second from 19 played since the US Open. Ferrer stands 14-4 in the same period.

Murray still leads the head-to-head 5-4 and went into the contest 5-0 against the Spaniard on hardcourt.

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