TENNIS in DEPTH.

Andy Murray has been drawn in the same half as World No. 1 Roger Federer in the draw for this year’s Indian Wells tournament.

The Scot has a bye in the first round and therefore will play either Robby Ginepri or Andreas Seppi in the second round.

Murray’s likely path to the title is as follows:

R1: Bye

R2: Andreas Seppi

R3: Igor Andreev

R4: David Ferrer

QF: Robin Soderling

SF: Roger Federer

F: Rafael Nadal

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Andy Murray crashed out of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships in the second round.

Murray, playing his first tournament since losing in the Australian Open final to Roger Federer, lost in three sets to Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic.

Tsonga, the fifth seed, had no answer to Ljubicic who produced 15 aces in a 7-5 6-3 win which set up a meeting with Djokovic

The 22-year-old Scot looked to have overcome losing the first set when he took the second to force a decider, but Tipsarevic raised his game to seal a 7-6 (7/3) 4-6 6-4 victory in two and a half hours on Wednesday.

Tipsarevic claimed an early break of serve in the first set but squandered the chance to serve it out, missing an easy smash to allow Murray to break back and level at 5-5.

Murray then hammered down three aces in the next game to seemingly signal a change in momentum, but world number 39 Tipsarevic commendably held serve to love to force a tie-break.

A superb forehand winner down the line then gave Tipsarevic four set points at 6-2 and an ace two points later – albeit one only confirmed by HawkEye – gave the 25-year-old the upper hand.

That at least served to spark Murray into life and a break of serve in the opening game of the second set was enough for the third seed to take it 6-4 and level the match.

But those expecting Murray to carry that momentum into the decider were in for a rude awakening as Tipsarevic claimed an early break and then saved five break points in an epic fifth game to lead 4-1.

After the first set it was perhaps no surprise that Tipsarevic was unable to serve out for the match, two woeful backhand errors helping Murray to reduce his arrears to 5-4.

However, Murray himself was broken in the next game and Tipsarevic sank to his knees in the middle of the court in celebration of one of the best wins of his career.

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Just 21 days have passed since Andy Murray was the unfortunate fall guy as Roger Federer chose the Australian Open final to reaffirm he is probably the finest tennis player the world has ever known. Murray is in the mood for conflict again and warming to the fact that a hot sun is once again burning on his back. “This is a tournament where I feel very comfortable and apart from last year’s quarter final, when I unfortunately got sick and had to pull out, I think I’ve always played good tennis.

“We are obviously obligated to play the four Grand Slams and eight Masters 1,000 Series events, but alongside Queen’s Club in London, I think Dubai is my favourite event to play where I have the choice. Everything seems to suit me here and the way I’m feeling just now, well rested and very relaxed, I’m very confident.

“I have had a lot of time to think since Australia and I’ve worked a few things out in my mind. I have not really done very much at all on the practice court and I’ve spent most of my time just relaxing and taking in a few football matches.

“Now I’m raring to go again but after all the hard physical work I did in December and then playing the Hopman Cup in Perth before preparing for the Australian Open, I think it was important to get good rest.”

With the exception of world no.8, Sweden’s Robin Soderling, every top 10 player that is currently fit to compete, figures in the Dubai draw. Andy Roddick, the 2008 champion, was forced to announce a late withdrawal from Memphis after suffering a recurrence of the arm injury that troubled him in Australia, while Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro continue to convalesce.

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Murray was set to be the top seed in this week’s event, but a statement on his website said he was taking an extra week off following his efforts at the Australian Open, where he lost in the final to world number one Roger Federer.

Tournament organiser Jean-Francois Caujolle was quoted in the Daily Express as saying: ”Murray did the same thing to me last year. He can’t know what it is to keep his word.

”A week ago, he asked me for a wildcard to play doubles with his brother Jamie and I gave him one.

”A few days ago he asked me for five hotel rooms and I gave him them.

”The number one seed of a tournament should have a sense of responsibility. If he does not respect his commitments, he should be suspended by the ATP.”

Muuray will instead play in the Dubai 500 tournament which starts on Feb 22.

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Andy Murray has revealed that he wants to stage an ATP Tour event in Scotland once he’s at the latter stages of his career.

I’ve spoken to a few people about it. I think if you’re going to do it you make sure you do it well. If I was to do something like that I would want to make sure I’m really involved in it.

You need to make sure you’ve got the time and the right people behind it. It is something that would definitely interest me [especially] when I am a bit older, when I am playing maybe fewer tournaments than I am now and maybe not doing as much training.

I think all the players would love to put on a tournament. They obviously know what the players need. The players just like to be near restaurants, have enough practice courts and have the hotel close to the courts, and that’s it.

I think sometimes it’s easy for tournaments to try and overcomplicate things, to try to outdo the other ones and make it a little bit more fancy, but players are pretty simple.

In 1997, Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski helped secure Britain an ATP Tour event that was first hosted in Battersea Park and then the Docklands. After a three-year run, it ended amid complaints from players about its unsuitability.

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Andy Murray has withdrawn from the ATP Tour event in Marseille.

Having reached the Australian Open final, Murray took a week off to rest his body.

The Scot only returned to training at the beginning of this week, so we can assume he does not feel physically ready to compete yet.

With Del Potro having also announced his withdrawal from the tournament, organisers have been dealt a major blow.

Murray is still expected to compete in Dubai starting the 22nd of February.

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Andy Murray’s impressive run to the final of the Australian Open has been rewarded with a rise up the ATP world rankings.

The 22-year-old has climbed to number three in the world in the latest list published on Monday despite his straight-sets defeat to Roger Federer in Melbourne.

Federer leads the way for the 268th week in his career.

Murray returns to the top three for the first time since October at the expense of Rafael Nadal, who retired hurt while trailing in the quarter-finals against the Scot and has been ruled out for up to four weeks with a knee injury.

The Spaniard’s slide down the order to fourth place marks the first time he has been ranked outside the top three since before claiming his maiden French Open title in 2005.

Novak Djokovic, who crashed out against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last eight at Melbourne Park, is up to number two in the world, although Murray, on 7,800 points, is just 510 points adrift of the Serbian.

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