ANDY Murray is closing in on the No.1 ranking after downing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to claim his third straight ATP title at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
The Scot can overtake Novak Djokovic atop the ATP rankings next week if he wins the Paris Masters and the Serb doesn’t reach the final.
“I get a step closer with every win but it’s still a long way from here,” Murray said.
“From two to one seems a small jump in a way but it’s the hardest one to make. To go from 100 to 50 is more spots but is a lot easier.”
Murray defeated Tsonga 6-3 7-6 (6) for his personal-best seventh title of the season and 42nd overall. Djokovic has also won seven events this year.
“I was thinking more about how you are going to win the match rather than what it would mean if you did win it. But obviously it’s nice to win my seventh tournament,” Murray said.
“A lot of them have come in the last few months. After the Australian Open I struggled a little bit for a couple of months but the last few months have been very good.”
Murray extended his unbeaten streak to 14 matches after also winning in Beijing and Shanghai.
Djokovic, who has suffered a worrying dip in form since winning his first French Open and completing the career Grand Slam in June, admitted Murray’s run had rejuvenated his season.
“It makes me want to go on court and fight for every point because there is something to win at the end,” Djokovic said.
Djokovic, who has admitted “private issues” contributed to his summer slump, believes Paris is the perfect place to revive his fortunes on his return to the French capital.
“Winning Roland Garros this year gave me a lot of joy but it required a lot of energy. I felt a little exhausted after and I was a little less motivated,” he said.
