Murray claims Vienna title, stays on course for No.1 ranking

VIENNA — Andy Murray's charge toward the world No. 1 ranking continued as he beat Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 7-6(6) to claim the Vienna Open title Sunday. The Briton, seeking to end Serbian Novak Djokovic's stranglehold on the No. 1 spot by the end of the year, was cruising toward his third consecutive title before Tsonga turned the match into a real fight. Murray was 3-1 ahead in the second set and had three break points to move 4-1 ahead but Tsonga dug in and began to play some stunning tennis to the delight of the crowd. Tsonga broke for the first time to level the set at 4-4 when Murray made a rare unforced error and began hitting with ferocious power to shake the Scot. The 29-year-old Murray, who won the titles in Beijing and Shanghai to eat into Djokovic's lead in the rankings, would not be denied though and played a typically solid tiebreak. He failed to convert his first match point when he netted a forehand return but set up another with a brilliant flicked backhand down the line off a cute Tsonga dropshot. He then nailed a first serve to complete victory and secure a career-best seventh title of the season. Murray's 15th consecutive match win means he could overtake Djokovic by winning next week's Paris Masters before the season concludes at the ATP World Tour Finals in London. He is now only 415 points in arrears of the Serb who will be under pressure to try to defend his title in Paris. Should Wimbledon champion Murray overhaul Djokovic he would become the oldest first-time world No. 1 since John Newcombe scaled the summit aged 30 in 1974. Cilic bags Swiss crown Marin Cilic tightened his grip on the last qualifying spot in next month's ATP year-end Finals with a dominant 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) defeat of Kei Nishikori to win the Swiss Indoors Sunday. The Croatian, 28, triumphed in a repeat of the 2014 US Open final, where he also defeated Asia's best player. Cilic, ranked 12th in the world, currently holds the last of the qualifying spots for the World Tour Finals in London but will face a battle next week in Paris in the final event of the regular season to keep the spot. Eight players will take part in the London showpiece. Cilic's victory marked his 16th career title from 27 finals. Nishikori, on his way to London for the World Tour Finals for the third straight year, was playing his fifth final of the season but can boast only the Memphis title from February. — Agencies