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Andy Murray has already set himself a new target after joining the 500 club. The British No1 beat Kevin Anderson 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 at the Miami Open last night to become only the 46th man since the Open era began in 1968 to reach a half century of wins.
Murray, 27, was presented with a special cake after booking a quarter-final with Dominic Thiem, and turned his thoughts to the next milestone.
“There’s not a whole lot of people who’ve made it to 500 so it’s quite nice to do that,” said the world No4. “I’ve put in a lot of hard yards and done a lot of work here. I have a certain number of wins in mind before I finish my career and, hopefully, my body can hold up.”
Tonight, Murray faces his second meeting against Thiem, winning their previous encounter in Rotterdam in three sets last year.
The 21-year-old Austrian is 48 places below the Scot in the rankings. Murray said: “He’s a very talented guy. I know him fairly well. I practise with him quite a bit. He’s very hard worker. Very good attitude. Very respectful guy.
“He’s got a very good career ahead of him, so I expect tomorrow will be a tough match.”
Britain, meanwhile, has a new men’s No2 after Aljaz Bedene was granted citizenship yesterday. The world No83 was born in Slovenia but has lived in Hertfordshire for seven years.
It remains to be seen whether he will be allowed to represent his new country in the Davis Cup as a rule change last year prevents players from switching their allegiance. Bedene has played in two ties for Slovenia.
It is thought the 25-year-old has appealed to the International Tennis Federation on the grounds he had already applied for British citizenship when the rules were changed.
