Andy Murray won his third Shanghai Rolex Masters and cemented his spot as the world number 2. He is closing the gap between him and number 1 Novak Djokovic.
29 year old Andy Murray is on the verge of taking the ATP world number 1 ranking away from Djokovic. His original thoughts were that he would make a run for the position in early 2017. He can, however, take the number 1 ranking earlier than expected.
My goal wasn’t to finish number one at the end of this year but in the early parts of next year there is an opportunity – 900 points doesn’t seem like loads.
Novak will win matches. He is the best player in the world. I don’t think he has lost an indoor game in a long time. I still have to win three more tournaments. That’s not an easy thing to do.
Of the three tournaments remaining for Murray, Djokovic is only slated to play two. If Murray was to win both upcoming tournaments in Vienna and Paris, he could overtake the number 1 ranking from the top-seeded Serbian.
Aug 12, 2016; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Andy Murray is playing the best tennis of his career. Photo Credit: USA Today Sports
Djokovic plans to skip the tournament in Vienna, leaving Murray an opportunity to gain points on the world number 1. A win at Vienna and then Paris, assuming Djokovic does not reach the finals in France, would give Murray the top ranking.
Murray is playing the best tennis of his career. Whether it happens in the next 3 tournaments or not, he will without a doubt challenge Djokovic for the ranking by early 2017.
Check back for updates on the ATP World Tour Finals and other tennis news from Lob and Smash.
More from Lob and Smash
This article originally appeared on 
