Andy Murray, setting aside doubts about his recovery time before the French Open later this month and nursing a niggling split in his right thumb, has decided to carry his unprecedented form on clay into the Rome Masters this week.
Having previously never won a title on clay, he has picked up consecutive triumphs in Munich and Madrid, with eight wins in 10 days, three of them against top-10 opponents, including Rafael Nadal in the final of the Madrid Open on Sunday.
Murray’s quandary was obvious: if he extended his winning streak here, he could end up in the semi-finals or even the final this weekend – and, while he would welcome the acclimatisation on clay at sea level after his success at altitude in Madrid, he would be left with less time to ready himself for Roland Garros.