Andy Murray might be reaching new heights on clay this season, but he says the success was a long time in the making.
The two-time Grand Slam champion reached the semifinal in Monte Carlo, where he was defeated by Rafael Nadal in three sets. He then reached the final of Madrid, falling in three sets to Novak Djokovic. Now he's into the final of Rome and facing Djokovic again.
"I'm getting rewarded now for the work I put in," Murray told press in Rome during the tournament. "It took me time to feel comfortable on it. But I didn’t just give up on clay and say, 'You know what, this isn't my surface, I’m not going to prepare for it properly or train hard.'"
Murray has reached French Open semifinals three times, but had not done well during the clay season as a whole until a year ago when he won Munich and Madrid for his first clay-court titles.
He credits his improvement to better movement and solving his back problems, as well as having persistence.
"I didn’t necessarily expect to be doing as well as I have been," the 29-year-old said. "But I deserve it because I worked hard for it."
Murray will be seeded No. 2 in Paris. He was ranked No. 3 this week, but his run in Rome will vault him above Roger Federer in the rankings.