Having initially played down its significance, trying to qualify for this year's ATP World Tour Finals means a lot to Andy Murray and, yesterday, he finally revealed exactly why.
The Scot stands eighth in the Race to London, in the last qualifying spot for the season-ending event that has always had the tradition and prestige to make the top players go the extra mile. But as he begins his penultimate event, in Valencia, Murray said it was not just the achievement of being in the year's top eight that mattered so much.
"A lot of it is to do with seedings for the beginning part of next year," said Murray, who takes on Austria's Juergen Melzer in round one this afternoon. "If you look at the Australian Open, which is the second event we play next year, if you're seeded outside the top eight you can draw one of the top players before the quarter-finals, so if you can get into that top-eight bracket, it helps.
"But for me this year it would be great to get in. You're guaranteed three more matches against the best players in the world, which is what I feel I need going into next year."
Until last weekend's hard-fought victory over David Ferrer in the final of the Austrian Open, which gave him a second title of the year, Murray had beaten just two top-10 players in 2014. With his mind already turning towards 2015 and the quest to add to his two grand slam titles, Murray knows he needs to test himself against the best.
"I've been a bit inconsistent, especially in the beginning of the year," he said. "The rest of the guys around the top of the game have improved and there have been some big results, with [Marin] Cilic winning the US Open and [Kei] Nishikori reaching his first final; that's changed things.
"I need to get back to winning more and being more consistent if I want to stay at the top of the game."
With two qualifying weeks remaining, including a Masters 1000 next week in Paris, Murray is just 110 points ahead of Ferrer, whom he could play again in the semi-finals in Valencia. Milos Raonic moved above Ferrer into ninth yesterday thanks to a 7-6, 6-4 win over American Steve Johnson in the first round in Basle.
Three places are still open for London but ninth could yet make it if Rafa Nadal, who requires surgery after suffering from appendicitis, pulls out.
In Singapore last night, Caroline Wozniacki put a huge dent in Maria Sharapova's bid to finish the season as world No.1 by overcoming some distracting bright lights to outlast the Russian 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (5-7), 6-2 in their marathon opening group match at the WTA Finals on Tuesday.
Following the tense three hour 13 minute affair, Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska claimed a 6-2, 6-3 win over Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova to join Wozniacki at the top of the White Group standings. The Dane had taken advantage of Li Na's retirement to take the final qualifying spot in the eight-woman field but it was world No.2 Sharapova who looked the outsider on Singapore's purple hard court, as some stunning winners were lost in a wave of 76 unforced errors.
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