• ATP Tour

Focus the key for Murray at the O2

ESPN staff
November 2, 2012
Andy Murray suffered a shock defeat to the world No. 69 in Paris © PA Photos
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Andy Murray has admitted he will need to improve his focus for next week's ATP World Tour Finals.

Since his US Open final success, Murray has lost three matches - all of which have happened after squandering match points of his own.

Murray's latest reverse came in the second round of the Paris Masters at the hands of Jerzy Janowicz and it could prove costly in his bid to get his hands on the world No. 1 spot.

Murray will now have to regroup for his season finale at the O2 next week and he is aware that he will need to be far more clinical with the winning line in sight.

"I don't know exactly what the reason is," Murray said when asked about his recent losses from winning positions. "I will have to make sure I tighten that up and don't let it happen next week.

"It probably takes a bit more focus and just solid tennis rather than doing anything silly and playing sloppy shots."

World No. 2 Novak Djokovic crashed out before Murray and with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal not in action, this will be the first time in two years the winner of a Masters event will not be one of the world's top four.

Djokovic, Federer and Murray can recharge the batteries for the next few days while other O2 challengers such as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Janko Tipsarevic are still battling away in Paris, and the Brit is not sure who that will favour.

"Only time will tell really," Murray said. "A lot of the players will have had slightly different run-ins to the O2.

"Obviously me and Novak lost early this week; Roger didn't play, and then I think the rest of the guys are still in here.

"You never know, maybe the guys that go deep here they'll have confidence from having a good tournament. But they may arrive a little bit later and might take a while to get used to the conditions."

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