in Tennis Articles

Andy is looking dandy and every tennis aficionado is taking notice. Not only are fans taking notice of Murray’s strong play, but so are his opponents – and the oddsmakers.

The 19-year-old Murray, currently taking a short break from the rigors of competitive tennis, is set to make a big breakthrough this year and has a crowded schedule leading all the way up to Wimbledon.

The good thing for Murray right now is that he has very few ranking points to defend and could potentially climb from his present position of world No. 13 even without doing as well as in his last two tournaments.

By winning the SAP Open in San Jose two weeks ago, Murray ensured his points total would remain the same as he was defending the title and reaching the semis in Memphis last week – one round better than his performance in 2006, which gave him another 10 points.

Murray will compete in the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, then move on to Miami, before a return to Europe at the beginning of April for his Davis Cup matchup against the Netherlands.

Following that, Murray will play in the Monte Carlo Open and the first ATP Masters Series on clay.

He will then continue his march to the French Open with events in Rome and Hamburg.

Murray could conceivably alter his schedule to find some more time for rest.

If Murray’s health withstands, which is always questionable, his plan is to play a lot of tennis through Roland Garros, into Wimbledon, and throughout the course of the U.S. hardcourt series in late summer and early fall.

Murray’s goal is to reach the top eight and qualify for the end-of-season Masters Cup in China.

Andy Murray, who lost to Rafael Nadal in five sets at the Australian Open, has been playing so well lately, that many of the game's most knowledgeable figures are convinced that Murray will not just be in the top ten soon, but he will join Federer and Nadal in the top three.

Looking at the world’s top three right now, Murray has already beaten World No. 1, Federer and No. 3 Roddick, although Roddick did get some revenge last week.

Barring an unforeseen injury, Murray seems like a sure bet to enter the top five this year, making him a player to watch in every tournament he plays in, particularly the majors.

Check out all the latest odds on Murray and every ATP and WTA player in the BetUS Sportsbook. BetUS futures section.

Eric Williams is a nationally syndicated sports columnist. To contact Eric, e-mail, eklass66@yahoo.com.