Anticipated final match would have benefited both Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray

The fans had every reason to be disappointed when it was announced on Saturday afternoon that the final of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship would be a walkover.

Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have crossed swords in four grand slam tournament finals since the start of 2011 and have faced off for a Masters 1000 crown on five occasions.

Friends and rivals since their junior days, they had never played each other in the Abu Dhabi event before, let alone the final, and anticipation of an entertaining battle between the two last night had fans assembling at the Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex from early afternoon.

Four hours before the start of the 7pm final, the car park was almost full.

So expectations were high for everyone, including world No 1 Djokovic himself, whose withdrawal meant his three-year reign as champion at the Abu Dhabi tournament had come to an end.

But illness had forced the Serbian to pass over the crown to Murray without a fight.

Djokovic and Murray were also disappointed by the fact they missed an opportunity to get another match under their belts before their next start-of-the-season commitments in Doha and Perth respectively.

What they did manage in Abu Dhabi should have them encouraged about their form as they head into the year’s first grand slam tournament, the Australian Open in Melbourne, which begins on January 19.

Murray, who will team with Heather Watson to represent Great Britain in the Hopman Cup in Perth, was given a proper three-set workout by Feliciano Lopez in his first match in Abu Dhabi and the benefits of that hit-out were evident during his impressive 6-2, 6-0 win over Rafael Nadal.

That was his first win over a top-four player since the 2013 Wimbledon final and would have boosted his confidence going into the new season after a frustrating 2014, though he had issues with pain in his left shoulder against Nadal and will need to get the all clear before his first match in Perth tomorrow against Frenchman Benoit Paire.

Djokovic, on the other hand, spent only 57 minutes on the courts here, but he looked fearsome in his 6-1, 6-2 semi-final win over reigning Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka.

Given their form, these two could be leading the charge for the Big Four in 2015 – but only if their health and fitness allows it.

arizvi@thenational.ae

Anticipated final match would have benefited both Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray

After the final in Abu Dhabi that never was, world No 1 Djokovic moves on to Qatar while Murray heads to Australia, reports Ahmed Rizvi.