Andy Murray celebrates after beating Roger Federer in the Masters Cup in Shanghai, one of three times the Scot beat the World No3 in 2008. Photograph: China Photos/Getty Images
Andy Murray described the best year of career to date as “awesome” as his season came to an end following defeat to Nikolay Davydenko in the semi-final [...]

A dejected Murray during his semi-final. Photograph: Nir Elias/Reuters
Predictably, it was too much to ask. Less than 24 hours after beating Roger Federer in Shanghai, a visibly tired Andy Murray went out of the Masters Cup with a straight-sets defeat to Nikolay Davydenko in the semi-finals.
Davydenko won 7-5, 6-2 and will now meet Novak Djokovic [...]

Diego Maradona is still treated as a hero by Scotland fans. Photograph: Valery Hache/AFP/Getty Images
They have chanted his name at Hampden for more than two decades. Finally, on Wednesday, the Tartan Army can thank Diego Maradona in person. After all, as the song goes, “he put the English out, out, out” of the 1986 World [...]

Scott Brown provided further evidence of his growing maturity against Manchester United. Picture: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images
Whether or not Paul Ince was correct with his now infamous “men against boys” assessment of Manchester United’s Champions League victory over Celtic more than a fortnight ago, there is at least one great irony attached to the Blackburn Rovers [...]

Barry Ferguson could return this weekend to revitalise Rangers. Photograph: Chris Clark/PA
As Celtic’s worries edge towards injury crisis stage, Rangers fans are preparing for the latest welcome to their prodigal son.
Shunsuke Nakamura, Glenn Loovens, Georgios Samaras, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Stephen McManus are among Gordon Strachan’s walking wounded. McManus should recover for Sunday’s trip [...]

Andy Murray lost the US Open final in straight sets to Roger Federer last month. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
If anyone doubted that Andy Murray was the fourth-best in the world - and there have been those who have regarded him, or at least his style, as something of a curiosity, or throw-back to days gone [...]

Andy Murray in action during his win over Monfils. Photograph: Jasper Juinen/Getty Images
He might have forgotten the score towards the end of his win over Marin Cilic in the previous round, but Andy Murray’s focus on consolidating his status among the world’s top four remains unwavering.
Faced by Gaël Monfils, an opponent who has looked increasingly [...]

Alex Bogdanovic squandered a healthy lead against Austria’s Jurgen Melzer. Photograph: Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images
Familiarity was in short supply at the All England Club today. The opening rubber of Britain’s Davis Cup World Group showdown with Austria featured not only the warblings of an Italian opera singer and a Court One draped in advertising hoardings, but [...]

Andy Murray celebrates his quarter-final victory over Juan Martin Del Potro at Flushing Meadows. Photograph: Scott Heavey/Action Images
Andy Murray reached his first grand slam semi-final here at the US Open with a 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-5 victory over Juan Martn del Potro that ultimately owed everything to the Scot’s superior tactical ability and technique, although [...]

Murray in action against Lu Yen-hsun. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images
It was expected to be, it should have been, it could only have been, a walkover. The man in the best form in the world, the No6, against a bloke from Chinese Taipei of whom no one had ever heard. There could only be one winner. [...]