Andy Murray ended the year as world No 1 after a dominant victory over Novak Djokovic in the ATP World Tour Finals decider in London on Sunday.
[b]Corey Linsley Super Bowl Jersey[/b] . But the week produced more storylines than just the race to be the best player on the planet.Here, we pick out the key conclusions from the O2… World Tour Finals: The verdict Marcus Buckland, Barry Cowan, Annabel Croft, Peter Fleming, Mark Petchey and others Murray can dominateSundays final was not simply a match to decide who would win the title and end the year as world No 1. It was a glimpse into the sports immediate future and a test of whether Murray is capable of staying top of the rankings in the coming years. Murray spoke to Marcus Buckland, Annabel Croft and Gred Rusedski after beating Djokovic After several months of patchy form, Djokovic had looked back to his imperious best on his route to the final and although his level dropped considerably over the following one hour and 42 minutes, the ruthless manner in which Murray dispatched him 6-3 6-4 suggested a tennis axis has shifted.Murray was fatigued and under immense pressure, yet he outplayed Djokovic to such an extent that it seemed he has not only met the standard required to be No 1, but raised it. A period of domination potentially beckons.Djokovic still out of sorts, but will be backDjokovics rapid and clinical progression to the final was so impressive that many analysts tipped him to beat Murray and snatch back the world No 1 ranking, but those predictions fell flat in a nervous and error-strewn performance that the Serb himself described as very poor. Highlights of Murray v Djokovic Djokovic held a 24-10 head-to-head record over Murray going into the match and had beaten him in two Grand Slam finals this year, so such an abject display suggested he is not yet over his struggles of the past five months.However, Djokovic remains one of the fiercest competitors currently active in any sport and is close enough to Murray in the world rankings to make a fightback in 2017 more than feasible.Raonic a potential future No 1Murray may have taken the title and the acclaim, but it shouldnt be forgotten how close he came to being knocked out in the semi-finals, when he fell a set and a break down to Milos Raonic and then had to save a match point in the third-set tie break. Milos Raonic edged Murray in this superb 20-shot rally in the semi-final Raonic also gave Djokovic a scare in the group stages, losing in two tie breaks, and although his record at the tournament was only two wins and two defeats, his results were good enough to lift him to No 3 in the world.Of more significance, however, were the pedigree of his performances. His serving and groundstrokes were unplayable at times, and if he can just become more adept at moving forward to the net, he could become as big a threat to Murrays No 1 ranking as Djokovic.Thiem a potential Grand Slam winnerAnother player who impressed at the O2 was 23-year-old Austrian Dominic Thiem, who was effectively a wildcard entry taking the place of the injured Rafael Nadal. Dominic Thiem steps up to the SkyPad to talk through his match against Gael Monfils He defeated Gael Monfils in three sets, took a set off Djokovic and forced Raonic to a tie break in an impressive weeks work that hinted he is the most exciting young player in the sport and could mature into a Grand Slam winner.Long way back for Roger and RafaThey are former No 1s who together once dominated the sport and later formed part of the Big Four with Murray and Djokovic, but Nadal and Roger Federer now find themselves down in ninth and 16th in world rankings respectively. Rafael Nadal is now world No 9 Their fall has been largely due to injury, but with Murray having raised his level, the likes of Raonic coming through and Stan Wawrinka now regularly winning Slams, the road to returning to the top four - let alone world No 1 - looks a long and tough one.Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 12 months half price. Hurry, offer ends December 4. Sky Sports Black Friday sale Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 12 months half price. Also See: Murray is Britain’s greatest Murray wins World Tour Finals Murray: I still need to improve Djokovic: Let Andy enjoy this
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[b]Jimmy Graham Super Bowl Jersey[/b] . -- Kurt Buschs Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, in some ways, was like his career wrapped into one afternoon.ST. LOUIS -- The last time Shaun Hill got extensive playing time was in 2010, when Matthew Stafford went down in the Detroit Lions opener. The veteran quarterback is set to replace another high-profile starter, stepping in for Sam Bradford with the St. Louis Rams. Predictions of a breakthrough season took a serious hit when Bradford tore his left ACL for the second time in nine months in the third preseason game at Cleveland. One betting service, Bovada, knocked down the over-under on total wins from 7.5 to 6.5. Since the injury, coach Jeff Fisher has projected total confidence in the 34-year-old Hill, who threw just 16 passes the previous three years in Detroit and none at all last year, running the offence for the long haul. Whether hell be holding a clipboard or barking out signals, Hill always gets ready to start. "Ive said this plenty of times, but Ive always kind of tried to take that same mindset as if I was going to be playing," Hill said after practice Wednesday. "Thats the only way I know how to prepare." The shock of losing Bradford again, Fisher said, lasted just a few days. "Theres nothing Sam was doing," Fisher said, "that Shaun cant do. Weve committed to Shaun for the year." Hill and the rest of the starters were held out of the preseason finale after five starters were injured in Week 3. Of the four others, only cornerback Trumaine Johnson remains sidelined, likely out the first month with a knee injury. The Rams claimed another quarterback with starting experience, Case Keenum, on waivers from the Texans this week. Austin Davis remains the backup, while Keenum takes a crash course on a new playbook. "Its like speaking a different language," Keenum said. "Im trying to learn another language as fast as I can." Hills arm is not as strong as Bradfords, but hes not worried about style points heading into Suundays opener against the Minnesota Vikings.
[b]Bart Starr Super Bowl Jersey[/b]. Like Minnesotas Matt Cassel, Hill has built a pretty nice career after entering the NFL as a fringe prospect. "He gets it where its supposed to be so we can make plays," wide receiver Kenny Britt said. "As wide receivers, our job is to make the quarterback look good. "Im excited about what were doing with this offence." Cassel was seventh-round pick and Hill was undrafted out of Maryland, beginning his career in Minnesota in 2002. Hill didnt play at all his first three seasons and made his debut in the 2005 finale, kneeling down to kill the clock in a victory over the Bears, and made his first career start in 2007. "Youve got a bond right there, staying in the league for a while," Cassel said. "I wish him nothing but success, except for when he plays us." Hill is set for his second career opening start, and first since 09 with the 49ers. "Its a matter of reps. Hes taken all the reps since we got back from Cleveland and so hes got a good feel," Fisher said. "Hes got a good feel for what hes doing." The Rams were going to be run-first before Bradford was hurt with the trio of Zac Stacy, Benny Cunningham and rookie Tre Mason so theyre not as likely to dump it all on Hills shoulders. Drafting Greg Robinson No. 2 overall and re-signing guard Rodger Saffold to a free-agent deal fortified the line. Robinson has perhaps been held back by learning guard and tackle in training camp and wont start in the opener with Saffold getting the call at left guard and Davin Joseph at right guard. "We made the decision that in the opener were better off going with experience," Fisher said. "Hes going to be an outstanding player. "Our focus right now is putting the guys on the field that we think gives us our best chance to win right now." ' ' '
