Murray targets first Middle East clean sweep

Andy Murray looks capable of becoming the first player to complete the tennis equivalent of golf’s Desert Swing, a highly lucrative trio of Middle East tournaments, over the next six days.

The 21-year-old Scot has already won the World Challenge exhibition event in Abu Dhabi and the Qatar Classic in Doha this year, and looks a particularly well-placed second seed at the Dubai Open which starts Monday.

Well-placed because Murray’s 16 wins out of 17 - the exhibition included - is better than anyone’s; because he has apparently recovered from the ankle injury which sidelined him last week; and because he may be fresher than his main rival, the top-seed Novak Djokovic, who is making a hurried journey from Marseille and will have little time to adapt and prepare.

“I’ve always played pretty well when I’ve come here,” said Murray, referring to the Gulf region.

“Obviously the start of this year was perfect with Abu Dhabi and Doha and I’d like to try to keep the form going because I obviously had very good memories from Dubai last year. Hopefully I can do a little bit better.”

Murray was referring to his sensational win over Roger Federer in last year’s first round. He was asked whether 2009, in which he has impressively consolidated his top four status, has exceeded expectations.

“What I have been doing is consistently winning matches,” he said, a remark which was less of a truism than it sounded.

“It wasn’t like I played my best tennis at the start of Rotterdam. I was still just finding ways to come through and then finding my best tennis later on in the tournament,” he said, referring to his capture of the title a week ago in the Netherlands.

“You just sort of get used to it and I’m kind of hoping that I can keep that going. It’s nice when you can get to the quarters, semis, a lot of weeks.”

With these words Murray was easing pressure. Many people expect more than quarter- and semi-finals from him now, and, because of the absence of Nadal and Federer here, he was encouraged to alter that mindset. Murray wasn’t having any of that.

“It’s the same as it is every week. It’s the first match and it’s different conditions. I might not play my best early on, but if I fight and give it 100 per cent there’s a good chance that I can win the match,” he said, possibly mindful of past contention with his opening opponent, Sergiy Stakhovsky of the Ukraine.

Their 2006 Davis Cup match in Odessa brought aggressive glares between them across the net.

“Before each first-round match I always sit down with Miles (Maclagan, the coach) and he’s always quick to point out different conditions, new tournament, new balls,” Murray said wisely.

“You need to understand that you can easily lose those, so you must stay focused - and that’s what I’ve been doing.”

The question for Federer, Nadal, and for Djokovic this week, is how close Murray is now to his peak. His former coach Mark Petchey notably said that 21 would be the age of Murray’s peak but Murray, who is 22 in May, has sometimes said it will be another couple of years yet.

“I can get better, there’s no question about that,” he said here Saturday.

“Just because I’ve been on the tour for quite a few years people expect things to happen very soon.

DUBAI, Sunday, AFP