10/10/2011 18:53 CEST - Rassegna internazionale

Murray "big in Japan" (Daily Telegraph)

Andy Murray may still be perceived as a nearly man in this country, but he is quietly putting together the best season of his career. In Tokyo yesterday he won a second consecutive ATP singles title, and topped it off with victory in the doubles tournament, playing alongside brother Jamie.

Best of all, the man Murray beat in the final of the Japan Open was Rafael Nadal, his nemesis for the past couple of seasons. Nadal has repeatedly barred Murray’s path to the grand slam title he craves, beating him in three semi-finals this year. But the tables were turned yesterday as Murray fought back from losing the first set to claim a 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory, his first win over Nadal since Toronto in 2010.

“I played some great tennis, especially in the third set,” Murray said afterwards. “There were a lot of close games towards the end of the first set and the beginning of the second and I managed to get the momentum and didn’t give him too many chances after that. I’m sure in the third set it was some of the best tennis I’ve played against him. I was very consistent, didn’t make too many mistakes and kept a cool head in the important moments.”

Murray was also more positive than is his wont during the grand slams, a subtle shift that he needs to maintain if he is to break that major tournament duck. The way he is going At the double: Andy Murray followed up his singles triumph by winning the doubles with brother Jamie at the moment, he looks a near certainty to overhaul Roger Federer by the end of the season and move up into the No3 position in the world rankings.

He goes into the Shanghai Masters this week as defending champion, while Federer is “resting and recuperating” at home, and Novak Djokovic is also taking time off to allow a troublesome back injury — which he suffered in the final of the US Open — a chance to heal. Should Murray win a third successive tournament, his promotion one rung up the ladder would be confirmed.

Since arriving in the United States in August, Murray has won 21 of his 22 matches, with that one defeat coming at Flushing Meadows against Nadal. His critics will point out that he has not produced his best tennis at the business end of a grand slam, but perhaps we can look at the Djokovic model for reassurance.

Djokovic found his own momentum through a strong finish to the 2010 season, winning the Davis Cup final for Serbia, and then carried it into his successful campaign at this year’s Australian Open.