Even at 35 years of age, Sir Andy Murray is still finding ways to improve his game as he looks to make a return to the top of the tennis totem.
The Scot is through to the final of the Qatar Open, where he'll face Russia's Daniil Medvedev in what promises to be a must-watch final. That pathway wasn't offered on a plate to Murray, either, considering he's had to play the maximum three sets in each of his four matches thus far in Doha.
If there were any doubts over Murray's ability to last against top talents, he proved his doubters wrong by saving five match points in a superb semi-final win over Jiri Lehecka. That's after the wildcard already saved three in a first-round comeback win over Lorenzo Sonego, and the victories didn't come by chance.
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“One of the great things about the scoring system in this sport is things can change very quickly,” said two-time Wimbledon champion Murray ahead of Saturday's decider. “I had multiple conversations with my team in the middle to the end part of last year, and I lost lots of close matches.
“I said, ‘As soon as I start winning some, then that’s going to change quickly because of the law of averages, really, like I couldn’t keep losing that many matches’. If I kept working hard and kept improving just a little bit, then those matches would change. So I’m glad that I was right with that, and I hope it continues.”
Murray impressed at this year's Australian Open and won two titanic duels against Matteo Berrettini and Thanasi Kokkinakis during the opening two rounds. He had to come from behind and play the full five sets on both occasions but eventually bowed owed to Roberto Bautista Agut.
The Briton's elder brother, Jamie, suggested last year that there could be more majors in store for Murray, backing his brother to "get back up there" in the rankings after improving since his latest hip surgery. Medvedev, for one, is all too aware of the threat posed by Saturday's opponent and praised Murray's incredible work in reaching Saturday's clash in Qatar.
“It’s unbelievable [what Murray has accomplished this week],” the world No. 8 told the official ATP website. “As soon as someone arrives at match point, that’s where the match starts. So I have to be at my best from the first to the last point tomorrow to try to beat him.
“He’s a legend. He’s playing better and better, I feel like, not only here but in general. This is amazing to see. He’s fighting. Today was just unbelievable, the way he won [against Lehecka], so I’m really happy to face him tomorrow.”
