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QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN

January 5, 2017

Andy Murray

Doha, Qatar

A. MURRAY/N. Almagro

7-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Another tough one tonight. Talk a little bit about obviously he didn't seem to want to go away, and also the conditions didn't seem great for either of you.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, tough, tough conditions for everyone today. It was obviously very windy and it was blowing kind of across the court a lot. That makes timing pretty difficult.

So it was hard for everyone today. Cold as well so that the court is pretty dead. You're not really getting much off the surface.

So, yeah, it was tricky. He is also a shot-maker. He goes big. He takes chances. Yeah, made it tough for me. I could have maybe made it a bit easier on myself if I converted a few more break point chances, but got through it in the end.

Q. Andy, you're three for three for the start of the year. Happy with your form so far?
ANDY MURRAY: Certain things, yeah, been pleased with. Definitely moved well. I've had to move well the last couple of matches because the two guys I played were really going for it. And also Chardy was in the first round in the second set.

So I moved well. Kind of difficult to judge tonight how well you're hitting the ball because the conditions didn't really allow for that. Just had to try and find a way to get through. You're never going to play your best tennis when the conditions are like that.

But, yeah, I've come through some difficult moments. Played some good tiebreaks. Yeah, the most important moments in the sets I've been tough. That's good. Still think I can get better.

Q. I don't know if you've heard the news about Oliver Anderson, last year's Australian Open junior champion, charged with alleged match fixing.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I saw that this morning.

Q. Just how disappointed are you that after all the publicity over the last year that someone young like that, talented prospect, is involved in this sort of alleged match fixing?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, it's obviously disappointing if true. You know, it's not that easy to comment on stuff now until you know a little bit more about what's going on.

But, yeah, I mean, it's disappointing for the game any time something like that comes out. However, if people are caught and charged, I see that as being a positive thing. If it's going on and nothing is happening about it, you know, that's much worse for the future of the sport.

So, you know, if it's happening, there should be the most severe punishments for whoever is involved in it. Yeah, we'll see what happens over I would imagine the next couple weeks with this particular situation.

But, yeah, for stuff like that you have to have the most severe punishments, otherwise people are going to continue doing it.

Q. I was just looking at the head to heads of yours against your perspective opponents. Given that Tomas has had a little bit more success against you compared to Jo, do you have a preference who you play in the semis?
ANDY MURRAY: I mean, be tricky against both of them. They're both big guys with powerful games but play quite differently.

Jo plays a bit more inside the court. He tries to come to net and finish points up at the net; whereas Tomas is bit more comfortable from the back of the court. Probably hits the ball a little bit harder and maybe a bit more solid on returns.

It depends. If one of them plays better than the other one on the day, they're more difficult to beat. Yeah, I don't mind. It's great for me to get another match like that against a top player in the first week of the year, so it's positive regardless who it is.

Q. It seems like a lot of this match fixing stuff is at the challenger level and everything. Just in general, not related to that, obviously everybody goes through that period working their way up. How tough is it down there for players?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, it certainly can be tough. I think even futures level pretty much all matches are streamed online now. People can bet on any level of tennis.

That's obviously going to create problems, especially when the lowest level of the game prize money is -- you're making $700, $800 maybe to win an event. I don't know the exact figures, but I'm imagining if you're fixing a match you're going to make significantly more than that.

So when you have a tour that works the way that ours does, there is always potential for that to happen. Yeah, can be tough. Thankfully I wasn't there for many years. I managed to get out of the futures level quite fast. Some players are at futures and challengers for a very long time.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about just all of the top players have a team. Maybe some lesser ones, too. How do you go about deciphering whose voice you want when? How does it all mesh? They sometimes say too many cooks kind of spoils the pot.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, like when I'm at tournament with just Jamie I don't speak to Ivan. Really I know they talk a lot, but at each event I pretty much have one voice on the tennis side; same with my physio and my physical trainer.

That's what's worked best for me. I think if you have -- I have a team where I have basically two coaches, two physios, and two physical trainers. I think if I was speaking to all of them every day about the stuff I'm going to go, that's difficult.

I try to have as few voices as possible at the tournaments that I'm at, and then when I'm training is more of a time when I'll bounce ideas off everyone and everyone will chat to me about things.

During tournaments try to keep it as simple as possible.

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