In a bizarre display, UK’s number one Andy Murray has given himself a haircut in between games at the ATP World Tour finals.

The former Wimbledon champion was behind 2-1 against Spanish player Rafael Nadal, and could be seen measuring his fringe and pulling on it in frustration, the BBC reported.

Throughout the match Nadal overshadowed the Scotsman, and during the changeover the world number two decided he’d had enough, taking the initiative to find scissors in his bag and cut off his bothersome fringe.

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But the haircut provided no advantage, with Murray losing the first set 6-4 and eventually losing to Nadal in straight sets (6-4 6-1).

“I don’t know why such minor things make such a big deal,” Murray said.

“I had some hair in my eye, and I just wanted to get rid of it. That literally took two seconds. That was it.

“It was nothing to do with next week or anything to do with the outcome of this match.”

But Nadal didn’t rub in the victory, paying compliments to his opponent, though not for his hair-cutting abilities.

“The tactic against Murray is to play very well. He has all the shots so the only way to try to damage him is to play with high intensity and be aggressive,” Nadal said.

Had he won the match, Murray would have been placed as ATP’s world number two, behind Novak Djokovic.

However, he can still progress in the tournament if he beats Swiss champ Stan Wawrinka on Friday, who is ranked fourth.