World No. 1 Roger Federer says he would like to see No. 3 Andy Murray focus on taking the top spot in the rankings. Murray is currently a ways away from achieving the feat, as he is about 3,700 points behind Federer. Both are playing the Shanghai Masters this week.
"He should be able to have that goal,” Federer told reporters. “He has results that back up his chances to become world No. 1, maybe even at the end of the year, maybe at the beginning of the next year. If not then, he’s got a shot till next year’s Wimbledon almost if he were to win there. His next nine months are going to be extremely interesting to follow. I think he’s done so well, I said it right off the bat, his reaction was amazing right after not winning Wimbledon against me, then coming back and winning the Olympics, still battling it out through Toronto and Cincinnati, then bringing the victory home, his first Grand Slam, at the U.S. Open. Very impressed, great to see.
"I’m sure it’s going to give him confidence for what’s to come, then of course it is going to have maybe an impact in the future. When is Rafa going to come back, when, how strong? How well am I going to play? How well is Novak going to play? That all has a little bit of an impact. now, and I hope for him he can achieve it eventually.”