Andy Murray's topsy-turvy season could be about to end on the highest possible note. Yesterday the Scot put himself firmly into contention for a place in the eight-man field for the Masters Cup in Shanghai by winning his third career title in St Petersburg and will now head into the final event of the season in Paris this week knowing that a place in the season-ending jamboree is well within his reach.
"That was huge," said Murray, after taking just 1hr 17min to dispatch Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 6-3 in a one-sided final.
Murray had to save match-points in the semi-finals against Mikhail Youzhny but yesterday's win was far easier, thanks to the Scot's dominant tennis and seething ambition.
"I really needed to win, because there are so many guys that could do well in Paris," said Murray. "Now I think a couple of matches in Paris, a couple of wins and I'm probably one of the favourites to make it there."
Qualifying for the Masters Cup is the sort of goal only a handful of players achieve and those that do are usually older than 20, so the fact that Murray is in the running to reach the tradition season finale is impressive enough even were it not for the fact that he missed a large chunk of the season with a wrist injury.
No wonder he is chuffed to find himself, thanks to yesterday's win, up to 11th spot in the standings and, crucially, just three points away from Tommy Haas, who currently occupies the eighth and final qualifying position.
"It would be a ridiculous effort to make it after what happened to me. A wrist injury, as every player knows, takes such a long time to come back from.
"If I was to make Shanghai, after what I went through in the middle of the year, I think would be an unbelievable effort and I'm going to give it my best shot," said Murray.
"To even just have a chance of being three points behind the eighth spot with one tournament left is pretty special anyway, so I'm really happy with what I've managed to do since coming back from the injury."
The mathematics surrounding who can still qualify for Shanghai are bewildering, especially as, theoretically, there are as many as 19 players who could get there if they play well this week. Six men have already qualified and a seventh, Fernando Gonzalez, looks secure in seventh position, providing he does better than the chasing pack in Paris.
If we take Gonzalez out of the equation, Murray really need only concern himself with Haas, Tommy Robredo and James Blake, the men immediately ahead of him. All four are within four points of each other and, put simply, Murray has to do better than the other three this week.
"Everybody knows what's going on and what they have to do," said Murray. "I like to know exactly where I'm at and what I'm playing for and it gives you a reason to get fired up for, because you're playing for something that hardly anybody else can say that they've done.
"I'll be one of the people that will be checking what everyone else is doing. I want to know exactly what I need to do. I'll use it as a motivation.
"It's much easier mentally to go into a match knowing that if I win I'll make Shanghai, then you go out there and give it 110%. Maybe some guys at the end of the season are a bit tired mentally, but if you are thinking, if I win this match I'm there', then that makes you fight for every ball."
Murray, who is seeded 15th in Paris and therefore has a bye into the second round, will begin his campaign on Wednesday against either Jarkko Nieminen or Juan Monaco. From there on in he must keep winning and keep his fingers' crossed.
"To be in the top eight players in the world, there are very few players in any sport that can say they've done that," said Murray. "The rankings don't lie. If you are there you are clearly one of the best players in the world. That's what makes it so special."
He sounded like a man poised to finish with a flourish.
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