Australian Open: Look no further than Andy Murray in 2017

Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray is the new world number one and it could prove beneficial to back the British athlete to go all the way in the first major of the calendar year in 2017.

Murray has been there or thereabouts in the Melbourne-based event, losing in five of the previous seven finals – an incredible record. Fortunately for him, his luck may be about to change for the better ahead of what could be another memorable year for Murray and his avid fan base.

Record

Murray won 78 of his 87 matches in 2016; a brilliant achievement in itself but it is his form in the second half of the campaign that truly stands out. The Scot has won 51 of his 54 games since losing to Novak Djokovic in the French Open final in June and it would be fair to state that Murray has been a class above his rivals during the period.

While he couldn’t get over the line in the US Open, the British star should be proud of his countless accolades and titles in 2016; he is certainly the in-form player ahead of the upcoming campaign.

It is hard to select a single moment as his greatest achievement in such a positive year and Murray will now take the time to sit back and reflect on his impeccable season. From lifting his second Wimbledon title to becoming the first man to retain the Olympic gold medal, it has been a fairy-tale twelve months for all concerned.

And despite playing in numerous tournaments, Murray is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down after his breakthrough year at the top level. In fact, the Briton has won each of his last five events and his ATP World Tour finals victory over Novak Djokovic cemented his place at the top of the world rankings.

Top ranked

Heading into the Australian Open, Murray will be the world number one – and he will have to quickly adapt his game to cope with the added pressure of being regarded as the best player on the planet.

When fully fit, you could still argue that Djokovic is the most naturally gifted and talented tennis player in the game but Murray has worked tirelessly to get to where he is now. If anyone deserves the opportunity to showcase their talent as the world number one, it is him.

Djokovic may head into the Australian Open as favourite after winning the event in five of the last six years but Murray is among the best picks based purely on form.

If he can pick up where he left off at the end of the 2016 campaign, the Scot will be well on his way to yet another Grand Slam final and he could hold the Serbian off to claim a maiden Australian Open title if he finds his best form. One thing’s for sure: it is sure to be a fascinating event; and British interest will be greater than ever before.

Challengers

Not for the first time, this looks like it could be a straight-up dogfight between the top two players in the business but Stanislas Wawrinka and Milos Raonic will be lying in wait should either Murray or Djokovic slip up.

Both men are currently ranked third and fourth in the world respectively and it would be foolish to rule them out; particularly as they have already beaten both Murray and Djokovic in the past.

But for us, you should look no further than Andy Murray to kick-start his 2017 campaign off as world number one with a much-needed Grand Slam victory. If you thought Murray was excellent in 2016, he could get even better over the next 12 months