ANDY Murray might not have been World No 1 this week were it not for Marin Cilic's victory against Novak Djokovic. He might not be it next week either unless he is equally careful when he comes up against the Croat in his ATP World Tour finals opener tonight.

As emphatic as the 29-year-old Scot was in racking up his eighth title of the season in Paris, it was the agency of the giant, brooding 2014 US Open winner which really took him over the line. Cilic had lost all 14 previous meetings against the Serb by the time he conjured the 6-4, 7-6 (2) win in the quarter finals in the French capital which put an end to his unbroken 122-week stint at the summit of world tennis. Cilic is one of only two men to have recorded wins against both Murray and Djokovic during 2016 - Juan Martin del Potro is the other - and the Scot will have to be on his guard if the Croat is not to start making a nasty habit of unseating the top tennis player in the world.

"Obviously he [Murray] congratulated me on the victory but it wasn't like he hugged me, and said 'well done for beating Novak'," said Cilic. "But obviously things are still quite open this week [for the No 1 spot] so we will see. It is going to be extremely exciting to see how everything is going to play out."

Murray has won 11 and lost three of his previous meetings with the Croat, even if their most recent meeting, in the final of the Cincinnati Masters just days after the Scot had taken Olympic gold, ended in a 6-4, 7-5 reverse. Cilic feels his win against the Serb has broken a psychological barrier.

"When I used to come into the matches against Novak, there was always some uncertainty present," said Cilic. "I had never beaten him, although I had been quite close a few times. But to have this victory at quite a critical moment just shows that I found a good way to play against him. I think that can help me in the future.

"Obviously that win in Cincinnati [against Murray] is quite a big part for me to prepare and to know that even with Andy's great form I was able to beat him," he added. "I can definitely take a few things from that match to beat him here. But the conditions are a little bit different, he has been on an amazing run, is extremely motivated, and has the crowd on his side. He has been playing well when he needs to, under pressure."

The match is scheduled for an 8pm start and Cilic expects to benefit from a spy in the camp in the form of his new coach Jonas Bjorkman. Having previously worked with his countryman Goran Ivanisevic, the recruitment of Swedish doubles expert - who worked with Murray during 2015 - is a signal that he is keen to work on his net game. While Cilic has always been capable of troubling the big hitters of the sport, the other big improvement in his game this year has been greater consistency. "You always learn more when someone’s been on the inside," said Cilic. "Having Jonas is a big plus. He will help me get a good plan for the match. It’s up to me to carry that plan through."

The position Cilic is in this year is not too dissimilar to that faced by Murray 12 months previously, as a key element of the Croatia team which are preparing to host Argentina in the Davis Cup final. Other stars such as Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, Stan Wawrinka and Tomas Berdych have faced similar situations but the Croat is unfazed by it in what is only his second appearance at this year-end tournament. “I’m quite relaxed about it,” said Cilic. “And quite honoured to be in that position — playing here at the World Tour Finals and plus the Davis Cup at home. Obviously I am going to get a little bit tired as the season is long, but I hope my body is going to be able to sustain it, that I’m not going to get or sick or something."

As Scottish football enters another wearyingly familiar cycle of inquest and recrimination, the same too usually applies to British tennis. Murray himself said that continuity was key when it came to the hopes that the 29-year-old wouldn't be the only native of these islands ever to reach the pinnacle of the sport. The Lawn Tennis Association's main sponsors Aegon recently announced that they were to end their association with British tennis.

“First of all I don’t think you can create world number ones," said Murray. "It’s a really, really hard thing to achieve so even if you have the best plans and structures in place you don’t guarantee you’re going to get someone to win a grand slam or get to number one in the world. Obviously having consistent leadership and a consistent, clear plan for longer than three, four years at a time would certainly help. But when I'm done playing and my brother is finished playing, I just hope British tennis is in a better place than when we started. I don't know if that's the case just now."