Montreal: Andy Murray underlined his hunger for more grand slam silverware on Sunday when he said he would pass up the chance to be world number one if it meant he could taste more major success. The 26-year-old will play his first match since being crowned Wimbledon champion when he lines up at the Rogers Cup Masters Series event this week in Montreal.
After spending some time away from the court following last month's triumph at the All England Club, and having reassessed his goals following a holiday in the Bahamas and a training block in Miami, Murray's desire to win the sport's main prizes runs deeper than ever.
"I sat down actually just few days ago and talked a little bit about that ... I want to try and win another grand slam," a refreshed and relaxed looking Murray told reporters.
"Every player would like to get to number one but I would rather win another a grand slam or two and not get to number one." Serbia's Novak Djokovic, the man Murray beat to the Wimbledon crown, currently occupies the top spot, with the Scot the world number two by some distance.
Murray's next opportunity to add to his two grand slam titles will be when he returns to New York later this month as defending champion at the US Open, the title which he won in 2012 with a pulsating five-set victory over Djokovic.
"It took me a long time to win my first one (grand slam) and I know how difficult it is to win those tournaments," Murray said. "I'll work as hard as I can to give myself an opportunity at the US Open and see how I do there."
CHOKER TAG
The Scot boasts a good record on Canada's hard courts having been a back-to-back Masters champion in 2009 and 2010. "The last couple of years I haven't always played my most consistent tennis in the build up to the slams and then when I got there I started to play better," Murray said.
"I've always looked ahead to the slams and sometimes not played my best tennis in the Masters series, which wasn't the case at the beginning of my career.
"I want to try and do well here."
Murray's decision to hire eight-time grand slam winner Ivan Lendl as his coach has been inspired and the Czech has helped him shake off the tag of "choker".
"He obviously lost his first four grand slam finals, I lost my first grand slam finals and felt like I was a loser, a choker," Murray said.
"Speaking to him made me feel more normal. He went on to become a great tennis player, one of the best of all time ... Being able to speak to him on an emotional level really helped."
Murray will meet either Spaniard Marcel Granollers or Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov in his first match at the Rogers Cup.
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