Roger Federer tells the Daily Telegraph that while Andy Murray’s work in Asia—winning Bangkok, Tokyo and Shanghai in succession—was admirable, it does not necessarily indicate that he’s ready to take over the top pf the game. Murray beat Rafael Nadal in the final of Tokyo, Gilles Simon to win Bangkok and David Ferrer to win Shanghai.
"I'm not taking anything away from what Andy did, but was Asia the strongest this year?" Federer asked. "I'm not sure. Novak [Djokovic] wasn't there, I wasn't there and [in Shanghai] Rafa lost early. [But] it has been a good effort by him after losing to Kevin Anderson in Montreal [in August]. Don't forget how things were looking then."
However, Federer did say that the Scot is now better prepared mentally to win a major.
"I think he's past that tough hurdle—‘Oh, I haven't won a Grand Slam’—that stressed him out more one-and-a-half years ago," Federer said. "I think now he is a bit more laid back because he has gone through these ups and downs and knows how to handle them. I've always thought he is plenty good enough to win a Grand Slam and he will have a good year in 2012. It's crazy how small the margins are in tennis."