Andy Murray reaches new heights for a British tennis player
- 00:01:28
- ITN
Andy Murray reaches new heights for a British tennis player
Andy Murray is celebrating after becoming the first British tennis player to break into the top three since world rankings began. Three tournament victories so far this year - in Doha, Rotterdam and Miami - have helped the young Scot climb above Serbian Novak Djokovic. That leaves just Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer ahead of him in the ATP rankings. But Murray, 21, insists he won't let his bid to break into the top two put him off his game. "If you start focusing on the rankings or on what another player is doing, you kind of take your eye off the ball a little bit," he said. "You need to focus on your own matches and try and keep winning. The important thing is to concentrate on playing well and not the ranking." And, even if challenging Federer for the number two spot may seem a realistic goal, Murray admits dislodging Nadal from the top of the rankings will be more difficult. He said: "Every weakness he had when he joined the tour he's always looking to improve, and even though when he's number one in the world and so far in front in the rankings, you see him on the practice court and he's always giving 110 per cent." Murray is equally realistic about his chances of defending his crown at this week's Madrid Masters, after tournament bosses made the switch to clay courts. He said: "I've got a tricky draw, the conditions are different, so there is no use thinking about finals and semi-finals. "I don't play on this surface well enough yet to think past my first match and I play the winner of two very solid clay courters, so I'm not going to think past them." Murray faces Italian Simone Bolelli in his first-round match in Madrid.
ITN | May 11, 2009
