Andy Murray walked onto court at the Qizhong stadium yesterday looking as if he had just seen a ghost and in the pale, plain figure of Nikolay Davydenko, all the Scots' worst fears were realised. Murray's playing year (and what a year) is over, beaten in straight sets by the Russian who may yet enjoy a glorious conclusion to 20 months that have been perfectly squeamish.

Murray was beaten 7-5, 6-2 in the semi finals of the Masters Cup and if the British No.1 flies home with a cheque for $650,000 - for three round robin wins, for having played in all three and an additional bonus for the No.4 player fulfilling his end-of-year commitments - it is distinctly a token consolation because he wanted to win this title, and win it badly.

Could he have done better against Davydenko had he not been so honest and brave against Roger Federer in the last of the qualifying matches on Thursday night? The British No.1 had been here before only a couple of months ago, having to play a huge match less than 24 hours after completing another, while his opponent-to-be was on the couch in his hotel room.

At the US Open, he defeated Rafael Nadal over two days in the semi-finals and had to come out on a third to play Federer in the final. It was an unequal struggle that he lost in straight sets. Yesterday, having broken Federer's resistance, he simply could not raise his game to the levels required to handle Davydenko. It will hurt for a while, but the hurt will pass.

Davydenko was cleared in September after a year long investigation into the irregular betting patterns at a match he played in Sopot, Poland, against Martin Vassall Arguello of Argentina, a whiff of suspicion clinging to him wherever he went. From the moment he loosed those chains, he has been playing with a degree of freedom which bodes well for him in the months ahead, when he intends to play as he never has before. That should be some viewing.

Incredibly, one bookmaker had the Russian at 3-1 against in a two-man tennis match against an exhausted Murray yesterday. Where do they come up with these odds? Davydenko was always favoured, especially as he had barely missed a ball in two of his three round robin victories and had not lifted a racket for 48 hours. There is not much to choose between him and his opponent on Sunday, Novak Djokovic, for the Serbian had the advantage of playing his semi final first. Djokovic required the best part of three hours to defeat Gilles Simon, the Frenchman who proved such an able substitute for Nadal, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Murray's first three games yesterday took the best part of 15 minutes. He lost serve on a fourth break point, recovered to break Davydenko and then had to save three more chances for the Russian in the third game, to lead 2-1. Murray slumped in his courtside chair and leaned his left arm across the side as if he was in the sitting room at home having just enjoyed a sumptuous lunch.

Then the fog cleared, he held serve relatively easily until at 5-5, 40-15, when Davydenko suddenly produced three returns in succession that brushed the baseline, with Murray flat-footed. Broken there, he smacked the head of the racket into the surface, unwrapped another racket and did the same to that. Davydenko pocketed the set with a cracking backhand down the line.

Was there anything left in the tank? Clearly Murray was on the verge of exhaustion and the minute he lost his serve in the fifth game, having tried to serve and volley to break up Davydenko's rhythm, it was a matter of time before he departed. A second break confirmed it and though Murray briefly resisted, he could not withstand.

He has done much, earned deserved acclaim, he is the fourth best player in the world who knows that further improvement will be made so long as he dedicates himself to his task.

He is only 21, he has been to a Grand Slam final, won two Masters Series, he has a game that is the envy of many, and much that is good awaits.