No British success at Paris Masters with Murray on Strictly

While there is still plenty to play for at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris this week, it’s looking increasingly like it’s mission accomplished for Andy Murray with a place in the end-of-year ATP Tour finals all but confirmed over the weekend.

Murray was in his element against Tommy Robredo, saving five match points on his way to winning a third tour title in five weeks and with it most likely a place in the finals at the O2 in London.

Now up to fifth in the ATP rankings, the Scot will be in action this week but with a top nine finish enough to see him make the final event, the 27-year-old may not be going hell-for-leather in Paris.

Murray looked dead on his feet at the end of his 2-1 victory over Robredo and will be keen to conserve some energy ahead of a tournament that will pit him against the best players in the men’s game.

More notably still, the Scot faces a tough draw in Paris, with a match against one of either Julian Benneteau or Yen-Hsun Lu, both tricky opponents to face early on, before a potential reunion with the man that ended Murray’s dream of back-to-back Wimbledon titles – Grigor Dimitrov.

It does not get any better from there either, with defending champion Novak Djokovic potentially to come in the quarter-finals in a series of matches that could leave Murray struggling to make an impact at the O2.

And if Murray is looking to take it easy ahead of a UK return then a trip to the capital to see his mother in action on Strictly Come Dancing should be made sooner, rather than later.

Judy Murray’s comical lack of movement on the dance floor has seen her emerge as a novelty favourite with fans voting at home but she has now been priced as the 2/1 favourite to be the next to leave the show.

It’s shaping up to be a week of long goodbyes for the Murray family with Andy potentially bidding ‘au revoir’ to Paris and Judy out on her ear in London.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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