LONDON: Rafael Nadal was in imperious form as he crushed Andy Murray at the World Tour Finals on Wednesday with an impressive 6-4, 6-1 victory at London’s O2 Arena.

The Spanish fifth seed was dominant as the British world No.2’s game fell apart in front of a home crowd at the 17,800-capacity venue.

The first set was a high-level contest featuring impressive rallies and smart drop shots, but in the second, Murray’s game fell away as Nadal turned the screw.

Whether Nadal goes through to the semifinals depends on the result of Wednesday’s second match in the four-man group, when world No.4 Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland takes on Spain’s seventh seed David Ferrer.

Both Nadal and Muray are contesting their seventh Finals, the season-ending tournament disputed between the top eight players on a hard court.

Neither has ever won the competition: Nadal finished runner-up in 2010 and 2013, while Murray reached the semis in 2008, 2010 and 2012.

Nadal went into the match leading Murray 15-6 in career clashes between the two. Murray had also never beaten Nadal in their four prior encounters in Britain.

But the Scot won their only previous match of 2015, beating Nadal on his home soil — and his favorite clay surface — in the Madrid final.

Federer floors Djokovic

Roger Federer got one over on world No.1 Novak Djokovic as the Swiss great booked his World Tour Finals last four spot with a straight sets victory late Tuesday.

Federer triumphed 7-5, 6-2 in their group stage clash in the packed 17,800-capacity O2 Arena in London, winning the key points at crucial moments to hand the Serb his first indoor defeat in 39 matches — a winning run stretching back to 2012.

Triple defending champion Djokovic, on a 23-match winning streak, suffered his first defeat since losing to Federer in the Cincinnati final on August 23.

But after becoming the first man through to this year’s semis, world No.3 Federer insisted Djokovic was still the favorite to win the season-ending tournament, which is disputed between the top eight players on a hard court.

Murray will still be certain of finishing the season at No.2, the highest year-end ranking of his career, if he beats Wawrinka in Friday’s final round of group stage matches, while Nadal faces compatriot Ferrer.

After the World Tour Finals, Murray will lead Britain’s bid for a first Davis Cup win since 1936. Britain face hosts Belgium in the Nov. 27-29 final on a specially-laid clay court in Ghent.

In the other group, Roger Federer has already qualified for the semifinals, while world No.1 Novak Djokovic needs to beat Tomas Berdych in his last round-robin match on Thursday.

Japan’s Kei Nishikori could join Federer in the semis if he beats the Swiss great.