IN Andy Murray's world, winning is all that matters, particularly at the moment.
He will probably make the cut for the ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in London next month if he reaches the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters this week, and if he reaches the semi-finals he is virtually assured of his place. But such calculations can be left to someone else - Murray has a far simpler method of booking his place.
"I just need to keep winning," he said. "If I do that then I'll qualify but I'm not too far away now."
He made a bright enough start yesterday, reaching the third round with a simple 6-2, 6-2 win over Bai Yan from Nanjing.
The world No 465 did break Murray's serve in the second set but he never came close to threatening.
"I started well, got off to a pretty quick lead, up 4-0, so that helped," said Murray.
"It was good intensity. I moved well from the start. I served pretty well, a fairly high percentage of first serves. I was hitting the ball nice and clean. I didn't feel out of position too often, so that's good."
What is also good is that Murray is finally feeling fit and well. The Scot has been struggling with a virus that has left him with a sore throat and feeling tired and lethargic.
Every time he thought he was free of the bug it would fell him again, and by the time he got to the China Open in Beijing last week he was sick as a dog.
"When we got to Beijing I practised 45 minutes a day," he said. "Normally I'd like to be practising two and a half hours a day. The cardiovascular work that you do is very important when you play long rallies against the best players, and that takes some time to get back."
Should he get through to the semi-finals, he might play Rafael Nadal.
And if that happens, he will have a bone to pick with the world No 1 after Nadal and Juan Monaco stopped playing a football match on PlayStation against Murray and hitting partner Dani Vallverdu when a game went to penalties.
Nadal believed he won the competition while Murray is still convinced it ended in a tie. "We were the better team, so that was the most important thing," said Murray with a smile.
Murray ought to be the better player today, too, when he takes on Jeremy Chardy for a place in the quarter-finals.
BRITAIN'S 2011 Davis Cup opener against Tunisia will be played at Bolton Arena in March.
