Whenever Brits compete in a tournament that is staged in the United Kingdom, they are almost always thrown under that proverbial microscope of scrutiny.  Yet with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer vying for the year-end No. 1 ranking and young guns Kei Nishikori, Milos Raonic, and Marin Cilic making their debuts this coming week in London, talk of Andy Murray’s participation in the ATP World Tour Finals has been relatively sparse.  That may not necessarily be a bad thing, however, and it is definitely not an indicator of his chances of winning the title.

Murray has ample reason to feel confident heading into next week, starting with his form this autumn.  The Scot struggled since having season-ending back surgery in the fall of 2013, and his results in 2014 have been a reflection of those struggles.  Inconsistent play and shocking early losses saw Murray drop to No. 12 in the rankings, leaving his qualification for London in doubt.  But he has managed to right the ship the last couple of months in very impressive fashion.  Murray saved a combined total of 10 championship points against Tommy Robredo to win the titles in Shenzhen and Valencia, and he got the better of David Ferrer in the final of Vienna.  His stellar play has seen him rise back up to No. 6 and should have him feeling fairly confident when he takes to the court next week.

Another area from which Murray can draw confidence is his experience at the ATP World Tour Finals.  Although he has yet to reach the championship match of this prestigious event, he has been to the semifinals three of the five times in which he was a participant.  Suffice it to say, he is unlikely to be overawed by the occasion.  In addition to that, Murray is in the group that contains season-ending championship newcomers Nishikori and Raonic.  No one can know for certain how Nishikori and Raonic will react in their London debuts, and Murray’s past experience at this tournament could potentially prove a difference-maker when he takes to the court against these two tough competitors. 

Murray will be keenly aware of just how challenging his group is, but he will also head into Round Robin play knowing that finishing among the top two – possibly even first – is well within the realm of possibility.  He has not lost a set to Nishikori in their three previous meetings, and although he lost to Federer the two times that they met this season, Murray still stands even with the Swiss at 11 wins apiece.  Somewhat surprisingly, the player in his group who has provided him with the most trouble has been Raonic, against whom he has lost on three of the four occasions that they battled.  That said, all of his losses to the Canadian have been tight affairs, and between Murray’s experience and his flying somewhat under the radar, he will still like his chances against the big-serving Raonic.

Thus, Murray is in with more than just a solid chance to go deep in London and maybe even win the title.  He is playing with less pressure this time around, and there is no one in the field whom he is incapable of defeating.  Plus, Murray is a Grand Slam champion, and there is no telling when he may finally once again fully tap into that championship form.  It will not be an easy road, but if he digs in his heels and believes in his own game, his first ATP World Tour Finals title could be in the cards.  And, even if he does fall a little short, a good showing could go a long way towards propelling the Scot to great things in 2015.