Former world No 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray believes that he has more to offer despite what he termed as a “difficult” start to 2024.
Murray is yet to win a competitive match this season, but the determined Brit has been quietly going through his preparations for the Qatar ExxonMobil Open which begins at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex from today.
“It’s difficult obviously. This is the period I’m going through right now is something I have never experienced in my whole career. It is not like the nicest experience to go through,” said the 36-year-old Scot, after the draw for the tournament was held on Saturday.
Back to back winner of the Falcon Trophy in Doha in 2008 & 2009 and finalist in 2023, 2017 and 2007, the Murray returns to one of his favourite venues hoping to revive his falling form and to make a new start. “I have enjoyed playing here over the years. Obviously had a good run last year. Yeah, sort of tough start to the year. Good to be back somewhere where I feel comfortable in the conditions and everything. Hoping for a good run,” the two-time Wimbledon champion said.
“I would obviously much rather be winning matches but if you can treat it as sort of something to learn from because obviously you usually have consistently won matches. This is something new for me and a different challenge. There has been a loss of confidence but I am still enjoying everything that goes into preparing for the tournaments and preparing for the matches. And yeah, hopefully this turns around,” he said.
Despite recent back-to-back exits in ATP 250 tournaments in Marseille and Montpellier, Murray seems confident of turning the tide. “A majority of players go through periods in the year where they lose four or five first rounds in a row. Top players don’t, but a huge amount of the players do.”
Murray, who is in the top of the 32-player draw, will begin against a qualifier with a possible next meeting with fifth seeded Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or Czech Jakub Mensik. If he makes the quarter-finals, he could run into the top seed Russian Andrey Rublev, who became champion here in 2020.
In the bottom half, second seeded Karen Khachanov had a first round bye and could possibly meet 6th seeded German Jan-Lennard Struff/ Australian Christoper O’Connell in the last eight.
Twice winner Roberto Bautista Agut (2019 & 2022) and finalist in 2021 remains a favourite and will need to go past Hungarian Marton Fucsovics before facing Kazakh Alexander Bublik. The young Lorenzo Musetti of Italy will meet China’s tall player Zhizhen Zhang in the opening round.