Fed’s days at top are numbered
YOU cannot fault Andy Murray’s ambition – no sooner had he taken up his new position as the world’s third best player than he had his eyes fixed on the No2 spot.
As of yesterday, Murray overtook Novak Djokovic in the world rankings and settled in behind Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, the world No1 and No2. But the more Murray achieves, the broader his horizons become.
Just a matter of months ago, he would not contemplate challenging Federer and Nadal at the top – all he wanted was a Grand Slam title.
Now, after nine months of beating the best on the world’s biggest stages, he has fixed Federer in his sights and is planning to chase the Swiss every step of the way to Wimbledon and beyond.
“I know I have a chance of overtaking Roger if I play well in the next couple of months,” said Murray.
“I’m proud to be the No3 but I’d be prouder if I was in between Rafa and Roger.
“I’ve been on a very good run in the last eight or nine months and my ranking reflects that. But to get close to those two or to get in between Roger and Rafa, it’s a tough thing to do. They have had the top two spots for the last five years. It’s an incredible run and they are probably the two best players ever so I would love to break that up.”
At the moment there are 1,180 ranking points separating Murray and Federer but between now and the end of Wimbledon, Federer has 3,950 points to defend while Murray has just 800 to protect.
At the same time, Murray’s clay-court game is improving all the time and now he has ambitions of doing real damage at the French Open, while Federer’s confidence is in tatters.
Last year Federer reached the final of both the French Open and Wimbledon – if he fails to match or better those results, Murray will overtake him in the world pecking order.
But Murray said: “If you start thinking about the ranking or focusing on what other players are doing, you can take your eye off the ball. You need just to focus on your matches and try to keep winning.”
This week Murray begins his Madrid Open campaign against Simone Bolelli. Played at altitude on newly laid courts at the massive Caja Magica complex, the conditions will be testing and the competition fierce.
Taking Nadal as his example, he is determined to become the best clay-court player he can be just as the Spaniard took his clay-court game and made it work at Wimbledon.
“I want to try to win my first match, and then take each match as it comes,” he said.
“I have a tricky draw here – it’s no use thinking about the final because I don’t play well enough on this surface yet to think past my first match.
“What Rafa has done on grass has been a great motivation for me. Even when he is No1 in the world and so far ahead in the rankings, you see him on the practice court and he is always giving 110 per cent.
“I feel I can get better on clay and try to go deep into the French Open.”
And by that time, he may have already overtaken Federer and set his sights on Nadal at the top. Murray, after all, has never been short of ambition.
WORLD No2 Serena Williams is out of the Madrid Open after retiring from her first-round match against Francesca Schiavone with a knee injury, having lost the first set 6-4.
FRANCE’S Richard Gasquet has been provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Federation after testing positive for cocaine.tennis: big TEST for Murray‘I’d love to get in between those two’
