NOVAK DJOKOVIC has witnessed the improvements at closer-range than most over the past couple of weeks. His view is clear and supremely well-informed.
Andy Murray is heading to Roland Garros with a more complete armoury than ever and a real chance of lifting his first French Open.
Not so long ago, Djokovic would have looked upon Rafa Nadal as the man most likely to prevent him from his own maiden triumph in the leafy surroundings of the Bois de Boulogne. That can no longer be the case.
A tough three set win in the final of the Madrid Masters proved to the Serb that Murray has built on the progress of last season to construct a durable game on clay. Straight sets defeat in the climax of the Italian Open in Rome on Sunday, Murray’s 29th birthday, confirmed it.
The Scot looks stronger than ever on what was once regarded as his least favourite surface and is certainly entering the tournament, which begins on Sunday, in form.
“I think he's using the court better now,” said Djokovic. “He has more variety in his shots from the baseline, so, obviously, he did improve.
"Winning Madrid [last year] and Rome and, you know, a couple of clay-court tournaments the last couple of years proves it.
"At the French Open, the conditions are also a bit quicker, which he likes. He's been consistently playing well [at Roland Garros] throughout the years, and I'm sure he's going to be very motivated to do well again.
"He's going to come to Paris in great form."
It is not only Murray’s game that is tougher and more resilient. The same could be said for his body. The 29-year-old has had so many problems with his back to contend with over the past few years, but he reports that his mobility around the court is directly connected to those issues being well-managed at the moment.
“I always thought clay was my worst and hardest surface, but then last year, getting some wins against the best players made me realise a little bit,” said Murray. “I had always been told that clay should really be my best surface, but it took me a long time to gain a little bit of confidence.
“I did make huge improvements in my movement on the surface, as well, though.
“My back also feels way, way better than it did a few years ago. I have to thank my team for that for all the hard work that they have put in and the changes they made to my training programme to help me with that.”
Murray’s more consistent, harder hitting on the second serve may also be connected to that. It has certainly helped him greatly over the past couple of tournaments.
“The serve wasn’t a problem in any of the matches that I played [in Rome],” said Murray. “It was the same in Madrid. I served extremely well and it gives me a lot of confidence in my game.
“When I'm serving well, I feel like, most matches, I create opportunities to break serve. If I'm holding my serve comfortably and not dropping serve much, it makes a big difference to the rest of my game.”
Physical issues dealt with, Murray, now back at number two in the world rankings, admits the focus now switches to the psychological demands of returning to five-set tennis.
“The conditions are slightly different at Roland Garros,” he said. “The matches are also over the best of five sets, which takes a little bit more physical and mental strength, but I feel like I'm on the right track.
“I’ve had great preparation now going into the French Open, with a lot of matches. I’ve played against Rafa a couple of times, Novak a couple of times. I haven’t won all of the matches, but I competed extremely well even in the ones I have lost.”
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