Injured Murray in the balance for year-end final

By Bill Scott Nov 21, 2011, 18:31 GMT

London - Andy Murray will decide on Tuesday whether he can continue with a groin strain at the ATP World Tour Finals after losing his opening match 6-4, 7-5 to Spain's David Ferrer.

'If this were not a Grand Slam of this event, I would not have played,' he said, after failing to overcome the problem he said he picked up during a move during practice last week.

The number three added that he will decide whether he can play his Wednesday match in the eight-man season wrap up, where he reached the semi-finals in 2010.

World number one Novak Djokovic put his injured shoulder to a major test and earned a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) comeback over Czech Tomas Berdych to begin his campaign with a victory.

The world number one who was bothered by his right shoulder at his last two events - he quit before a Paris quarter-final - needed nearly two and three-quarter hours to win his first group match at the eight-man season wrapup.

Djokovic is bidding to end 2011 with an 11th title after dominating from January to mid-September before physical problems set in.

The win was the eighth on hardcourt by Djokovic over Berdych, leaving the Serb with an 8-1 record in the series.

Djokovic's win marked his 70th of the season against just four losses.

Murray went down in two hours, taking treatment on court at the start of the second set after losing the first set in an hour to the scrambling Ferrer, finalist at the year-end event in 2007 in Shanghai to Roger Federer.

'It's disappointing, I didn't feel great,» said the sub-par Scot, who was the toast of tennis a month ago when he won three Asian titles on the trot. 'I still had a few chances, especially in the second set.'

'I think I was a break up in both sets, so, yeah, disappointing.'

Murray 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.

While he did manage to break the scrambling Ferrer early in both sets, the Spaniard was able to get them back and broke Murray to end each of the sets.

'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.'

Ferrer profited as the off-colour Murray committed 44 unforced errors - 24 in the opening set - and lost his serve five times.

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

Murray said that he thinks his first injury of this type was disconcerting. 'I just felt it, I've never really had many strains.'

'It's more being sort of like bony, jointy things that I've had, especially playing on hard courts. It was the first time I'd really felt anything go really.'

'I felt flat, in the second set especially. I can decide until one minute before the match on Wednesday if I want to. So I'll see how I feel tonight and tomorrow and decide,' he said before entering a round of treatment which could include ice baths, massage and acupuncture.

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