There will be no easy start to the 2017 season for Andy Murray as he prepares for a potential showdown against Novak Djokovic at the upcoming Qatar Open, which will get underway on Monday.
The world No.1 arrives in Doha shortly after his mixed performance at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships, where he succumbed in straight sets to David Goffin before downing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga the following day. Despite recently suffering a loss to the world No. 11 at the exhibition tournament, Murray doesn’t believe it will have a significant impact on his Doha bid.
“I do think it’s always tough to judge sometimes, because the quality of the tennis is good but there is not like the pressure sort of in the outcome of, I don’t know, decisions you make on the court. Sometimes your shot selection maybe in those matches isn’t quite as good,” Murray explained on Sunday.
The Wimbledon champion will have little time to reflect further on his recent performance as he bids to clinch his maiden Australian Open title later this month. One player standing in Murray’s way will be Djokovic, somebody who the Brit has lost to in four finals at the Melbourne major. This time round there is a change in circumstances with Murray being the best in the world following his stellar end to the 2016 season, where he dethroned Djokovic from the top of the rankings. The momentum might be currently in Murray’s favour, but he is aware of how much of a threat Djokovic poses.
“In terms of the number one ranking, Novak would be (the biggest threat),” he told reporters. “I had a great sort of four, five months at the end of last year and I still only got to number one by one match basically at the end the year, so I know it will be very tough to stay there.”
Unlike Murray, Djokovic has endured a somewhat roller coaster second half of last year. Troubled by a lack of motivation as well as injury, the dominance of the Serbian was no more on the men’s tour. His final match of 2016 saw the 29-year-old get brushed aside by Murray in straight sets at the ATP Tour Finals.
“I don’t see the six months, second six months of 2016 as a failure or anything like that,” Djokovic told reporters in Doha.
“It’s not in my mindset, I guess, in my philosophy of life to observe things in this way – that I didn’t succeed, that I failed, that I’ve fallen or something like that.
“I just feel like every experience is a blessing one way or another.”
In their head-to-head, Murray trails 11-24 to Djokovic, but has won two out of their three more recent meetings on the tour. Meeting No.36 will only occur in Doha if both men progress to the final. Djokovic will start his campaign on Monday against Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff. Meanwhile, Murray faces France’s Jeremy Chardy on Tuesday.
Kick off in Doha – Novak Djokovic plays singles, Andy Murray (with Fyrstenberg) doubles. Monday schedule #QatarExxonMobilOpen pic.twitter.com/glKYnVqUsk
— Michal Samulski (@MichalSamulski) 1 January 2017
See also: Preview: Murray, Djokovic On Track For Another Collision In Doha
