MURRAY CLOSES IN ON SECOND

Andy Murray is very close to replacing Roger Federer as the no. 2 male tennis player in the world. Murray is currently at no. 3 in the official rankings of WTA, but, if he manages to win the ongoing BNP Paribas Open, he will become the no. 2 player.

Becoming no. 2 will help Murray in the next couple of grand slams as he will get slightly easier draw.

When Murray was asked about that, the Scot said, “Becoming no. 2 is not my ambition. It’s not something that I had targeted at the start of the season. However, if I become no. 2, it will certainly help me a lot in the grand slams.”

“Currently, I am not focussing on rankings. The focus is on winning the tournament.”

In his second round match in the BNP Paribas Open, Murray wasn’t at his best in the initial parts. He lost the first set (in such a way that you wouldn’t have even been tempted to stick a bonus bet from Unibet on him coming through the tie, but thereafter, he came back well and won the next two sets with ease to make his way into the next round.

When asked about his performance in the second round match, Murray said, “In the first set, I lost quite a few break chances which I shouldn’t have done. I was playing after a few weeks and that’s why, it took me a bit of time to get into the groove. But, I am happy that I bounced back and won the match eventually.”

In the third round, Murray will face Lu Yen-Hsun of China. Murray has played only one match against Hsun so far. In that match, Murray was defeated.

When asked about his next opponent, Murray said, “I lost the only match that I played against him. He is a good player and he plays powerful tennis. Also, he is one of those guys who have got great mental stability. He always remains calm on the court.”