Andy Murray loses exciting ATP Finals game to Novak Djokovic

Britains Andy Murray returns against Serbia's Novak Djokovic (Getty Images)

Andy Murray has work to do to qualify for the semi-finals at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London after losing to world number one Novak Djokovic in another dramatic encounter at the O2 Arena this afternoon.

The world number three was brilliant in the first set but could not sustain it and a third-set comeback eventually counted for nothing as Djokovic ran out a 4-6 6-3 7-5 winner.

Murray's victory over Tomas Berdych on Monday means he still has a good chance of reaching the last four, with his final Group A clash to come against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in two days' time.

Djokovic's progress will be assured if Tsonga beats Berdych in tonight's match.

Andy Murray produced a brilliant set of tennis to lead world number one Novak Djokovic in a high-quality clash at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London.

The Scot flew out of the blocks and did not look back, dropping only three points on serve in winning the opening set of their Group A clash 6-4.

This was their seventh meeting of the year after sharing the first six, with Djokovic winning an epic Australian Open semi-final but Murray turning the tables at the Olympics and then clinching his first grand slam title at the US Open.

That match was also a dramatic five-setter, and their contests have become ever more physically demanding.

The O2 crowd, packed almost to 17,000 capacity, were anticipating another classic, and they were certainly not disappointed in the opening game.

Murray brought up a break point and took it with a scampering cross-court forehand after the sort of rally for which the pair have become famous.

The Scot looked extremely sharp, moving well and hitting his groundstrokes with a real zip, particularly on the forehand.

Djokovic did not win a point on Murray's serve until a double fault in the sixth game, and in the ninth game he found himself facing set point after some more incredible defence from the third seed followed by a cute drop shot.

He could not convert that one, hooking a forehand long, but on serve he was rock solid once more, holding to love after 44 minutes.

It was a shorter set than normal in encounters between the pair, mostly due to Murray's dominance on serve, with Djokovic not so much as managing a deuce.

The Serb won their most recent match, in Shanghai last month, in a more than three-hour epic in which Murray held five match points, but he was struggling to make an impression here.

Murray had another chance to break in the third game of the second set but Djokovic landed a drive volley right on the join of the lines, perhaps more by luck than judgment, and three games later he had his first chance.

Surprisingly Murray chose to serve and volley on break point and it did not pay off, the Scot forced to play off his toes and missing the baseline by a fraction.

And this time it was Djokovic who did not waver serving it out, taking the set 6-3 to level up.

The momentum had well and truly shifted, with Djokovic now the aggressor and Murray throwing in a few too many errors, and four of them cost him in the third game of the decider as the top seed broke through again.

The crowd tried to raise their man but the contrast from the first set was total and Murray, whose serves were now coming back with interest, was beginning to look a little forlorn.

Instead of putting pressure on Djokovic, Murray was just trying to hang on, and he saved break points in the fifth and seventh games before at last rediscovering his spark.

He forced himself to flatten his forehand back out and it paid dividends, HawkEye showing Djokovic to have missed by a whisker to give Murray the break back, and suddenly the British player was one game away.

Djokovic did not waver, though, and it was Murray who cracked again to leave his opponent serving for the match.

Still it was not straightforward as Murray forced two more break points but this time Djokovic saved them and clinched victory after two hours and 34 minutes when the Scot missed a backhand.