Second set: Murray 4-5 Nishikori* (*denotes server) Murray smashes a ball into the ground in frustration after a wayward forehand, he’s broken a string and has to change his racket. Nishikori gets to 30-0 but once again a doubt-fault lets Murray into the game. A nice serve-and-smash combo is followed by a unforced error before Nishikori serves it out. On his serve at the moment, any Murray progress is made through Nishikori error, rather than the Scot taking the game by the balls.

Second set: Murray* 4-4 Nishikori (*denotes server) The trainer comes on for Murray in the interval, he appears to be having some trouble his calf muscle. Remember how many matches he’s played recently, that’s bound to have taken some toll. He’s got some momentum here, and the crowd find their voice as he rips a forehand down the line to win the opening point. Yet another Nishikori error at the net and and two timely aces helps Murray to a comfortable hold. We’re all square!

Second set: Murray 3-4 Nishikori* (*denotes server) Error from Nishikori from the net, not his first today, gives Murray a 30-15 lead and an unforced error gives Murray two break points. Murray had no right to get that ball but he made the Japanese play one more shot which should have been easy, but fell into the net. Perhaps he was just surprised Murray got the ball back! The Scot repeats the trick on break point and we’re back on serve!

Second set: Murray* 2-4 Nishikori (*denotes server) Tim Henman, on the commentary just compared Nishikori’s backhand to Agassi. Not sure about that. It’s his best shot, but he does rely on the pace of the ball coming onto the racket, rather than generating his own. That said, it’s a lovely shot. Not that it is used much in this game, Murray serves it out to love, continuing the trend of being consistently inconsistent. For all Nishikori’s dominance here, there’s just one break in it.

Second set: Murray 1-4 Nishikori* (*denotes server) Almost every shot Murray makes it bouncing short of Nishikori’s service line, whereas the Japanese is mainly hitting long. As a result, he’s dictating the points and goes to a 40-15 lead before another double fault gives Murray hope. But the hope is fleeting, an inside-out Nishikori forehand sees to that. A marked contrast to the difficulty at which Murray won the previous game.

Second set: Murray* 1-3 Nishikori (*denotes server) There are many more Japanese fans in the crowd than I had thought (Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is also in attendence). Nishikori is certainly a poster boy for that part of the world, he’s the first Asian player to make these finals. Last year there were no Japanese accredited journalists covering these finals, this year there are more than 40. Back on the court there are signs of life for Murray who hits a seeping backhand winner cross-court but poor Murray serving (including a 80mph second serve) and a fantastic pass past Murray at the net gives Nishikori yet another break point. Murray serves down an ace to get to deuce. He is so inconsistent right now, one moment he is smashing a backhand down the line for a winner, giving Nishikori a taste of his own medicine, the following point it’s a double fault. Next up, the best point of the match: Murray somehow gets to what looks like a clean winner, gets himself back into the point and produces a drop shot out of nowhere. Nishikori didn’t move – great defence and touch of class from the Scot. Murray serves it out, he’s finally won a game, but my word, that was some struggle. You might say that if he’s lost that game and gone 4-0 down, it would be curtains.

Second set: Murray 0-3 Nishikori* (*denotes server) If Nishikori cut out these double-faults he would be well clear here, and surely wouldn’t have been broken in the first set, but he is allowing Murray a way back into these games, even though he’s been the better of the two in open play. Murray gets to 30-30, but an excellent body serve and a Murray error allows Nishikori to win the game. Murray is in freefall!

Second set: Murray* 0-2 Nishikori (*denotes server) The depth of Nishikori’s groundstokes is really causing Murray problems. An absolutely sublime backhand clips the baseline to make it 30-30 before a poor second serve results in more Nishikori dominance and a Murray unforced error. One more wayward shot later, and Murray is broken, in more ways than one.

Second set: Murray 0-1 Nishikori* (*denotes server) Nishikori had a trainer onto the court to re-strap something on his wrist during the interval but it looks like being precautionary – it certainly doesn’t look to be affecting him: he wins the game to love. Two forehand winners closing out the game. Murray has lost five of the last six games now, he needs to get himself together or this match could race away from him. Best of three sets remember.

“Although I said earlier that if Murray didn’t win another match in his career, his legacy would be secure, I think we can agree that he’s got a few years left in him yet if he stays fit and focused,” says Simon McMahon. “And if he were to win in Australia, and add another Wimbledon or US Open title then he would move from mere greatness to a true legend of the game. Come on Andy!”

First set: Murray 4-5 Nishikori* (*denotes server) New balls, and Murray gets a brand new racket out of its wrapping. Nishikori fires a double-handed backhand down the line, followed by an ace down the T. Is Murray losing his cool here? Here come the first glances towards his coaches and muttered words. Oh dear. However, another poor series of volleys at the net and another double fault lets Murray back to deuce but Nishikori is decisive afterward: angled forehands proving too much for the Scot.

First set: Murray* 4-4 Nishikori (*denotes server) It certainly feels like Nishikori has grabbed the initiative. He is so eager to take on Murray’s serve that he rushes through it, but the fact that he’s taking the shot so early is encouraging. Murray hits his first clean winner from the back of the court to get to 30-15. It feels like a slow surface here, and both players are so quick that there might not be many of them today. Murray fires an ace out wide to win the game.

First set: Murray 3-4 Nishikori* (*denotes server) The ability to defend points are two of these players’ great strength. It goes to 30-30 and an excellent deep return earns Murray a break point, but Nishikori gets back to deuce. The pair trade a couple of points before Nishikori unleashes a magnificent forehand up the line after the longest rally of the match – must have been 20 shots or so – before another clean winner cross-court. That’s an excellent response form the 24-year-old but he has only landed 38% of his first serves in though, a concerning stat that.

First set: Murray* 3-3 Nishikori (*denotes server) These double-faults are catching! Murray begins and ends the game with one to hand Nishikori the break straight back. Nishikori races to a 40-0 lead, the last of those points coming with some considerable dominance from the back of the court.

First set: Murray 3-2 Nishikori* (*denotes server) This time it’s Murray who goes 30-0 up. The Scot is returning the ball with such pace, and Nishikori is struggling to cope. Murray gets to 40-0 but sends a looping forehand long. Murray challenges the call, to no avail. Nishikori again comes to the net and this time, hits a smash volley to get himself within one point of deuce, but a double-fault gives Murray the break! That’s Nishikori’s third of the match already!

First set: Murray* 2-2 Nishikori (*denotes server) Nishikori gets to 30-0 up after the Scot sends two forehands long but gets back to level pegging through a nice lob and an ace. The lob may well be a tactic for Murray going forward, sucking Nishikori in with a drop shot and then popping it back over his head. He’s easier to lob than most, due to his height, although Nishikori’s speed across the court is quite astonishing sometimes. Good defence from Murray closes out the game.

First set: Murray 1-2 Nishikori* (*denotes server) Nishikori has started the more aggressive and it getting onto his front well, sweeping various backhand bullets down the line. Murray is the first to come to the net forcing Nishikori to send a drop shot wide to get it to 40-30 and Murray gets to deuce, after his backhand clips the top of the net and drops over before a frantic exchange at the net results in Murray coming out of top. Murray gets the first break point of the match but one excellent Nishikori serve and one wayward Murray backhand sees the Japanese close out the game. Pressure building on his serve, though. The first cries of ‘Come on Andy’ echo through the arena, it’s a sell-out here, but the atmosphere is a little flat at the moment.

First set: Murray* 1-1 Nishikori (*denotes server) A love game for Murray, every point coming from a Nishikori error. Murray’s serve has been a big part of his recent surge in form and it should be a big weapon today.

First set: Murray 0-1 Nishikori* (*denotes server) A comfortable enough start for Nishikori. Unforced errors from Murray and the Japanese dictates the final two points form the back of the court to close out the game. He did serve two double-faults though, and it’s interesting to see where Murray is taking Nishikori’s second serve – well inside the baseline, almost on the service line!

Here we go. Nishikori to serve, all 5ft10in of him.

Murray has won the toss, he’s chosen to receive. It’s warm-up time.

Murray and Nishikori emerge on court, with lots of dry ice, applause, and drum and bass. It feels like we’re in a terrible nightclub.

Murray and Nishikori’s head-to-head record makes happy reading for the Scot.

Murray has won all three encounters, dropping just 14 games in 7 sets of play, albeit that the most recent match – last year at the Brisbane International – Nishikori was forced to retire. All three wins for Murray have also taken place on hard court, which is of course the surface at the O_2.

“Hello Michael,” starts Simon McMahon. “Like yourself, I’m really looking forward to today’s match. I find it difficult not to get emotional when watching and talking about Andy. If he never wins another match, his place at the top table of all time great UK and Scottish sportsmen is secure. Two Grand Slam titles, Olympic gold, dozens of other titles, helping drag GB back to Davis Cup respectability to name but a few of his achievements. And all while conducting himself with dignity, grace and good humour in the face of intense public and media pressure. A genuinely nice guy and role model. Just don’t get those who classify him as a boring, dour underachieving Scot. But, as Taylor Swift says, the haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate.”

That they are Simon. I’m not sure many people would accuse him of underachieving. But he’s certainly not boring or dour, not that it’s his job to be interesting.

In case you’re a bit hazy on the smallprint of this tournament, the men’s singles ATP World Finals splits the top eight-ranked players in the world into two groups. Each group has a round-robin format with the two best-placed players progressing to a semi-final. From there, it’s normal knockout fun. All matches are the best of three tie-break sets, including the final.

Murray and Nishikori are placed in a group with Roger Federer and Milos Raonic, who themselves play later today.

Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych and Maran Cilic make up the other group.

No Rafa of course. Sad face. He’s just had his appendix out.

Nishikori finished his 2013 season ranked No17 and so his rise to fifth has been quite remarkable, but has partly been down to the tutelage of Michael Chang who became his coach in January and who the Japanese has praised for changing both his mindset and his technique.

“I changed my tennis with Michael. Michael made me more aggressive, more consistent on my groundstrokes. I always started to believe in myself, I told myself I can beat (the top players).”

This seems like a good opportunity to shoehorn a grainy video of Chang tearing it up, back in the day. So here you go.

Tomas Berdych ruddy loves a selfie! Please see attached.

I’m not sure who makes their suits, but my word, I want one.