David Ferrer dented Andy Murray's hopes of winning the ATP World Tour Finals on home turf in London with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over the World No. 3 on Monday.
Ferrer, ranked fifth in the world, had lost his last four meetings with Murray but he overwhelmed the Scot with some impressive baseline play to set the pace in Group A.
Murray had won all five of his previous encounters with Ferrer on hard courts, including a victory in the recent Shanghai final.
But he appeared hindered by a leg injury from midway through the first set at the O2 Arena and was never at ease as Ferrer's fierce competitive instincts kept him off balance.
Murray didn't help his cause with 44 unforced errors.
“I'm sorry for the people and for Andy as he is a good friend but I'm happy to win the first game here in London,” Ferrer said. “I played consistently all game and served well in the important moments. Andy has problems but I played my game.”
Murray landed an early blow as he broke in the third game when Ferrer sent a forehand into the net.
But Ferrer, aided by three Murray errors, broke straight back in the next game. Another break point slipped through Murray's grasp at 4-4 and he was made to pay as Ferrer took the set. The Scot saved one set point at 4-5 but couldn't repel the second as a miscued forehand drifted wide.
Murray called for a medical time-out to get treatment on his left leg during the break between sets.
If his body was feeling the strain, Murray got the perfect balm with a break in the opening game of the second set after Ferrer carelessly netted on breakpoint.
Once again, the tenacious Ferrer responded impressively and secured a break of his own to level at 2-2.
Murray's movement still seemed slightly restricted by his injury, but he found enough rhythm to break Ferrer for a 4-3 lead.
That advantage swiftly disappeared as Ferrer, playing with real aggression from the baseline, broke back in the next game.
Murray just didn't have any answer to Ferrer's metronomic consistency and the Spaniard closed out the match with the decisive break at 5-6.
On Sunday, Rafael Nadal opened his account with a 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(3) defeat of American Mardy Fish in a late-night Group B thriller.
In the doubles comeptition, India's Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi suffered a 7-6(6), 6-1 defeat to Sweden's Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau of Romania in their first round Group A match.
Despite making their maiden appearance at the event, the sixth-seeded pair of Lindstedt and Tecau proved to be too good for the experienced fourth-seeded Indians who could convert only two of the 11 break points, all coming in the first set.
It took the winners just 28 minutes to beat the Indians in the second set.
The results:
Singles: Group A: David Ferrer bt Andy Murray 6-4, 7-5.
Group B: Rafael Nadal bt Mardy Fish 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(3).
Doubles: Group A: Robert Lindstedt & Horia Tecau bt Mahesh Bhupathi & Leander Paes 7-6(6), 6-1.
Group B: Mariusz Fyrstenberg & Marcin Matkowski bt Michael Llodra & Nenad Zimonjic 6-4, 5-7, 11-9.
