Murray makes light of heavy workload down in diary for this season

ANDY MURRAY is confident he will be able to pull off the juggling act required to have success at the Grand Slams, Olympics and Davis Cup this year.

Murray continues his title bid at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells today, with a third-round match against Federico Delbonis of Argentina.

The world number two coped well with the quick turnaround from Davis Cup duty eight days ago to beat Spain’s Marcel Granollers in straight sets in round two.

And the Scot knows that how he plans his schedule from now until September will be vital to his success over the coming months.

“It’s important to get the scheduling right and I think I will,” said Murray. “I think I’ll get it right because I’ve been thinking about it way in advance so there’s no reason not to get that right.”

As the defending Olympic champion, Murray is determined to arrive in Rio as close to 100 per cent as he can, despite a packed summer schedule.

“The Grand Slams every year are my priority on tour,” he said. “I don’t think that’s ever going to change.

“But the Olympics comes round once every four years. I know how much that meant to me [in London] so I don’t want to mess that up.”

Murray desperately wants to add to his tally of two Grand Slam titles but also has the small matter of Britain’s continued defence of their Davis Cup title to think about. Britain travel to Serbia for the quarter-final the weekend after Wimbledon – a match the Serbs intend to play on a slow clay court – and there are two Masters 1,000 tournaments quickly after that in the run-up to the Olympics.

“I just have to be smart after the Davis Cup with what I do,” Murray said.

“If that means getting to Rio a week earlier to get used to the conditions then that’s what I’ll do. Maybe I play Cincinnati and not in Canada.”

Murray said he had not expected to 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow G2 3QB. email: sport@theherald.co.uk. Tel 0141 302 7156

Sports editor Graham Shields / Deputy sports editor Gordon Stevenson play his best against Granollers so soon after his gruelling Davis Cup win over Kei Nishikori in Birmingham. “It can be hard because you are on a high and there is a bit of a come-down,” he said.

Murray also reiterated his stance against the backing given by his racket manufacturer, Head, who once again supported Maria Sharapova despite the Russian failing a drugs test.

“Yeah, I saw [the statement],” he said. “My stance hasn’t changed from the other day.

“It’s still the same: I disagree with it.”