The world No 1 has turned the page on his disappointingly early exit from the Australian Open and is focused on the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Looking ahead, not back
“Obviously it was a big loss and I feel like I could have done some things a bit better,” Murray said about his loss to Mischa Zverev in the fourth round of the Australian Open. “I didn’t play particularly well, but now I look forward. The Australian Open finished five weeks ago and I can’t keep on thinking about the match anymore. I have to try to get back to tennis here.”
No pressures as No 1
“I don’t need to stay at No 1,” Murray said. “I mean nothing bad happens if I become the No 2. My life is OK. No one dies if I lose the No 1 ranking. But yeah, I want to try to stay there. I want to try to play good tennis again, in all the events and not have any drop off like the one I had last year between the Australian Open and Monte Carlo. I won two matches on the tour and that wasn’t a good two-and-a-half month period.”
■ Read more: Roger Federer avoids the clay to mould 2017 campaign
Dan Evans looks to continue upward momentum
Jaziri is a talent
“I know [Dubai first-round opponent Malek Jaziri] fairly well, but I have never played against him and I have never practised with him,” Murray said. “But I have seen him play. He is very talented. He hits those sliced backhands and he is also quite aggressive on the forehand. He has played here a number of years. He knows these conditions very well, so yeah, I am concentrating on that match.”
Life as a knight
“I haven’t really thought a lot about it to be honest,” Murray said. “When it first happened, I mean I was so surprised and yeah it’s been seven-eight weeks. I have been doing the same things and nothing has changed in my life so all good.”
Toni Nadal’s decision
“Everyone was surprised,” Murray said about Toni’s decision to stop travelling with his nephew Rafael Nadal after the end of this season. “They have always been together. But it’s not easy like travelling on tour for so many years. I know he hates flying. I know he doesn’t enjoy the travelling. I think it’s quite understandable that he wants to do something else.”
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