• ATP World Tour

Murray sixth, Federer eighth in new rankings

Andy Murray reached the final of the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013 but fell in the last eight this year © Getty Images

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Andy Murray has dropped to sixth in the ATP World Tour rankings after his quarter-final exit at the Australian Open, his lowest rank since 2008.

Murray, the reigning Wimbledon and Olympic champion, reached No. 2 in the rankings last summer but failed to go beyond the last eight in his last two grand slams and missed the final three months of the 2013 following back surgery.

ATP World Tour rankings

• 1. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 14,330 pts
  2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 10,620
  3. Stanislas Wawrinka (SWI) 5,710
  4. Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) 5,370
  5. David Ferrer (ESP) 5,280
  6 Andy Murray (GBR) 4,720
  7. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 4,540
  8 Roger Federer (SWI) 4,355
  9. Richard Gasquet (FRA) 3,050
  10. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 2,885

Rafael Nadal consolidated his No. 1 ranking with his run to the final in Melbourne, having not played the first major of the season in 2013. The Spaniard is nearly 4,000 points clear of Novak Djokovic, who in turn is almost 5,000 clear of new world No. 3 Stanislas Wawrinka.

The new Australian Open champion has not only risen to a career-high ranking but has replaced Roger Federer as Swiss No. 1, having beaten both Djokovic and Nadal en route to victory.

Roger Federer's semi-final appearance wasn't enough to stop him sliding two rankings places to No. 8, his lowest spot since October 2002, which pre-dates his first grand slam triumph at Wimbledon in 2003.

Wawrinka was the first player beyond the big four - Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and Federer - to win a grand slam since Juan Martin del Potro's 2009 US Open triumph.

"Some players realise that it is possible now to win a grand slam," Wawrinka said. "Last year, the top 15 players were thinking the four major guys were still amazing players, but we had more chances to beat them.

"We didn't in grand slams but we were close to them, so I think we all realised that it can be possible to do something big.

"I don't know about the others but, for me, I have my grand slam trophy and no-one can take it away."

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