Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic set for Sunday showdown as Scot survives epic semi-final

Murray gets past Raonic in longest match in event’s history while Serb cruises past Nishikori in an hour

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Britain's Andy Murray (L) celebrating winning his semi-final against Canada's Milos Raonic with the clock showing the match took 3 hours and 38 minutes, the longest match in Tour Finals history, and Serbia's Novak Djokovic (R) celebrating beating Japan's Kei Nishikori in 1 hour and six minutes in the second semi-final on day seven of the ATP World Tour Finals tennis tournament in London on November 19, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Glyn KIRK

Published: 11:46am, 20 Nov 2016Updated: 11:46am, 20 Nov 2016

Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, the dominant forces of men’s tennis, will collide head-on in a fitting climax to the season at the ATP World Tour Finals on Sunday after taking vastly different paths to the title match.

Murray, who should trademark the ‘tennis epic’, spent three hours 38 minutes – a tournament record – quelling the ferocious firepower of Milos Raonic, dragging himself to a 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (9) victory in a fever-pitch atmosphere at the O2 Arena.

The Scot, aiming to win a maiden Tour Finals crown and clinch the year-end world number one ranking for the first time, had barely finished his post-match news conference before Djokovic completed a 6-1, 6-1 rout of Japanese Kei Nishikori.

Murray, who plunged into an ice bath after surviving his gruelling battle, including saving a match point, also spent three hours 20 minutes beating Nishikori on Wednesday.

Great Britain's Andy Murray looks dejected during his semi final match against Canada's Milos Raonic Reuters / Toby Melville

Only he knows what is left in the tank for Sunday but he is protecting a three-month unbeaten run, a streak that helped eclipse Djokovic at the top of the rankings and now stands at a career best 23 wins, with fanatical zeal.